Wallingford is a historic market town in Oxfordshire, England, with around 8,500 people. It stands on the River Thames and developed as one of the fortified burhs established under Alfred the Great in the late 9th century, with parts of its Saxon earthworks and original street pattern still visible. After the Norman Conquest, Wallingford Castle became one of England’s major royal strongholds and played an important role during the civil war between Stephen and Empress Matilda, with the agreement that ended the conflict negotiated here in 1153. The castle later served as a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War before being largely demolished in the 1650s. Today the compact centre includes a traditional market square, historic churches, Wallingford Museum and riverside walks along the Thames Path. Wallingford is also strongly associated with Agatha Christie, who lived at nearby Winterbrook House from 1934 until her death in 1976, and the town has also frequently appeared as the fictional Causton in Midsomer Murders.

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St. John the Baptist’s Church

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