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.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry footings remains.

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

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU60958973

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 241718

• 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/
• 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
    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
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p310, 318
    Hassall, T.G., 1978, ‘Wallingford Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol135 p292-3
    1976, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol6 p75
    [Carr], 1973, Medieval Archaeology Vol17 p159-61
    1972, Current Archaeology Vol3 p318
    Durham et al, 1972, Oxoniensia Vol37 p82-5
    [Brooks], 1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p255
    Brooks, N.P., 1965-6, 'Excavations at Wallingford Castle, 1965: an interim report' Berkshire Archaeological Journal Vol62 p17-21
    Slade, C.F., 1960, 'Wallingford Castle in the reign of Stephen' Berkshire Archaeological Journal Vol58 p33-43
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    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, 1895, Berks., Bucks. and Oxon. Arch Journ Vol1 p41-5
    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)
• 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