Wallingford Castle

Wallingford, United Kingdom

Freely accessible

Public space — no opening hours to check.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Find out more

Wallingford Castle, a Norman fortification in Wallingford, Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire), was established in 1067 as a motte-and-bailey structure within an existing Anglo-Saxon burgh beside the River Thames. By the 12th and 13th centuries, it had evolved into one of England's most powerful royal castles, expanding beyond its original design into a concentric layout. The castle proved strategically formidable during the civil war of the Anarchy, withstanding multiple sieges without falling while held for the Empress Matilda. Over subsequent centuries it transformed into a luxurious royal residence before falling into disuse after Henry VIII abandoned it. Refortified during the English Civil War, it was deliberately slighted following a lengthy Parliamentary siege. Today, the Grade I listed and scheduled monument preserves considerable earthworks and fragmented walls, open to public view.