Wallingford is a historic market town and also civil parish located to the south of Oxford on the River Thames in England. Historically situated in the area of Berkshire, it was transferred to Oxfordshire for the functions of administration in 1974. Wallingford is located 12 miles (19 kilometres) north of Reading, 13 miles (21 kilometres) south of Oxford and also 11 miles (18 km) north west of Henley-on-Thames. The community's population was 11,600 in the 2011 census. The town has actually played an essential role in English background starting with the abandonment of Stigand to William the Conqueror in 1066, which resulted in his taking the throne as well as the creation of Wallingford Castle. The castle as well as the town enjoyed royal status and prospered for much of the Middle Ages. The Treaty of Wallingford, which ended a civil war known as The Anarchy between King Stephen and Empress Matilda, was signed there. The community then went into a period of decrease after the arrival of the Black Death as well as falling out of favour with the Tudor monarchs prior to being called on once more during the English Civil War. Wallingford held up as the last staying Royalist stronghold in Berkshire before surrendering after a 16-week siege. Fearing that Wallingford Castle could be used in a future uprising, Oliver Cromwell purchased its devastation. Since then Wallingford has come to be a market town as well as centre of regional commerce. At the centre of the community is a large competitive market square with the battle memorial and 17th century arcaded city center to the south, the Corn Exchange theatre to the eastern as well as various look around the edges. Off the square there are alleyways as well as roads with more shops and also a variety of historical inns. Although it was a town, Wallingford as soon as had 14 churches; now, there are three ancient churches within the Church of St Mary-le-More and St Leonard, a modern Roman Catholic church, a Quaker Meeting House dating from 1724 as well as Baptist, Methodist and also neighborhood churches.