Wallingford is a historical market community as well as civil parish located to the south of Oxford on the River Thames in England. Historically located in the area of Berkshire, it was transferred to Oxfordshire for the objectives of administration in 1974. Wallingford is positioned 12 miles (19 km) north of Reading, 13 miles (21 km) south of Oxford and also 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 an important duty in English history beginning with the surrender of Stigand to William the Conqueror in 1066, which led to his taking the throne and the development of Wallingford Castle. The castle and also the town appreciated royal condition and flourished for much of the Middle Ages. The Treaty of Wallingford, which ended a civil war known as The Anarchy in between King Stephen and also Empress Matilda, was signed there. The community then entered a period of decline after the arrival of the Black Death and also befalling of favour with the Tudor monarchs prior to being gotten in touch with 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 made use of in a future uprising, Oliver Cromwell bought its damage. Since then Wallingford has actually ended up being a market town and centre of local commerce. At the centre of the community 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 as well as numerous look around the edges. Off the square there are alleyways and roads with more stores as well as a number of historic inns. Although it was a village, Wallingford once had 14 churches; now, there are 3 old churches within the Parish of St Mary-le-More as well as St Leonard, a contemporary Roman Catholic church, a Quaker Meeting House dating from 1724 and also Baptist, Methodist as well as area churches.