Wallingford
Wallingford is a historical market town and civil parish located to the south of Oxford on the River Thames in England. Historically situated in the area of Berkshire, it was moved to Oxfordshire for the purposes of administration in 1974. Wallingford is located 12 miles (19 kilometres) north of Reading, 13 miles (21 km) south of Oxford and 11 miles (18 km) north west of Henley-on-Thames. The town's population was 11,600 in the 2011 census. The town has played a vital function in English history beginning with the surrender of Stigand to William the Conqueror in 1066, which caused his taking the throne and also the production of Wallingford Castle. The castle as well as the town took pleasure in royal status and also grew for much of the Middle Ages. The Treaty of Wallingford, which ended a civil war called The Anarchy in between King Stephen and Empress Matilda, was signed there. The community then went into a duration of decrease after the arrival of the Black Death as well as befalling of favour with the Tudor monarchs before being called on once again throughout the English Civil War. Wallingford held out as the last staying Royalist stronghold in Berkshire before surrendering after a 16-week siege. Fearing that Wallingford Castle could be made use of in a future uprising, Oliver Cromwell ordered its devastation. Since then Wallingford has actually become a market community and centre of regional commerce. At the centre of the town is a huge competitive market square with the war memorial as well as 17th century arcaded city center to the south, the Corn Exchange theatre to the east and various search the sides. Off the square there are alleys as well as streets with even more shops as well as a variety of historical inns. Although it was a small town, Wallingford once had 14 churches; now, there are 3 ancient churches within the Parish of St Mary-le-More as well as St Leonard, a modern Roman Catholic church, a Quaker Meeting House dating from 1724 as well as Baptist, Methodist and community churches.