Wallingford Castle

In the civil parish of Wallingford. In the historic county of Berkshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

Medieval motte and bailey castle, built circa 1067-71, slighted 1652. excavations in the bailey revealed a mid C12 bank and ditch and C17 wall. The excavations also indicated that the castle defences were extended in circa 1275. Medieval pottery was found. Large and important early motte castle built in corner of Saxon burgh. Used throughout the medieval period and besieged in both the Anarchy and the Civil War. Impressive earthworks remain but only fragments remain of the shell keep, curtain wall and interior buildings. The motte is 60 m. round and 13.2 m. high without a ditch.
Excavations in the bailey revealed that a mid C12 bank and ditch and later C17 wall constituted the main defensive earthworks. A C12 cob building was also found, preserved to a height of 1.8m, various internal features including wall plaster and door jambs impressions survived.(Carr)
Wallingford featured prominently in the wars between Stephen and Matilda, and had becaome a royal possession before 1173. It was strongly refortified in 1215-6, and in 1220 the old hall was replaced by a new one. Used as a prison from the 1430s. (HKW)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 249216; 249219; 249217)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU60958973

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 241718
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 21698; 7798; 21698 and others 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.britannia.com/history/berks/wallcast.html
    http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/wallingford_cast.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/175/wallingfordcastle.htm
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/easy_results.asp?index=1&main_query=wallingford%20castle
    http://www.le.ac.uk/ar/njc10/wallingford_project/
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/wallingford.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p77-9
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p6
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford)
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p12
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p313
    Hassall, T.G., 1977, 'The battle of Wallingford Castle 1971-1977' in R T Rowley and M Breakell (eds), Planning and the Historic Environment II, (Oxford University Department for External Studies)
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p298-301
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, N., 1966, Buildings of England: Berkshire (London) p248
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p850-2
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p37-8
    Page, Wm and Ditchfield, P.H. (eds), 1923, VCH Berkshire Vol3 p523-31 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43256#s2
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p228-30
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm and Ditchfield, P.H. (eds), 1906, VCH Berkshire Vol1 p265, 267
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p176-80
    Hedges, 1881, History of Wallingford (London)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p53-4
• Journal Articles
  • Bradley, J and Gaimster, M. (eds), 2004, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 2003' Medieval Archaeology Vol48 p284-6 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    2004, South Midlands Archaeology Vol34 p94-5
    2003, South Midlands Archaeology Vol33 p105-12
    Spurrell, M., 1995, 'Containing Wallingford Castle, 1146-53' Oxoniensia Vol60 p257-
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q
    1990, South Midlands Archaeology Vol20 p85-6
    1987, South Midlands Archaeology Vol17 p99
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p310, 318
    1979, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol9 p18
    Hassall, T.G., 1978, ‘Wallingford Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol135 p292-3
    1977, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol7 p3, 37, 52, 55
    1976, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol6 p61, 75
    1973, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol3 p18
    [Carr], 1973, Medieval Archaeology Vol17 p159-61 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1972, Current Archaeology Vol3 p318
    Durham et al, 1972, Oxoniensia Vol37 p82-5
    [Brooks], 1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p255 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Brooks, N.P., 1965-6, 'Excavations at Wallingford Castle, 1965: an interim report' Berkshire Archaeological Journal Vol62 p17-21 [download via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?berks_bas_2007]
    Slade, C.F., 1960, 'Wallingford Castle in the reign of Stephen' Berkshire Archaeological Journal Vol58 p33-43 [download via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?berks_bas_2007]
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Chalkley Gould, 1906, Journal British Archaeological Association [new series] Vol12 p122-4
    Hedges, J. Kirby, 1895, 'Wallingford Castle' Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Archaeological Journal Vol1 p41-5 [download via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?berks_bas_2007]
    Hedges, 1891, Journal British Archaeological Association Vol47 p124-31
• Guidebooks
  • Dewey, J. and Dewey, S., 1978, Wallingford Castle: a Brief Guide (Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p90-3
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#berks6]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p30
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p119 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01