Wallingford

About

The wealth of independent shops, historical connections and traditional English architecture make Wallingford a perfect weekend get-away. No wonder it features so many times in the quintessentially English TV series, Midsomer Murders.

Easily accessible from the M40, M4 and A34, or from Paddington with a short taxi ride from Cholsey railway station, Wallingford provides a beautiful countryside option between Reading and Oxford. New mooring facilities are available for those arriving by boat on the Thames - a five minute amble past antique shops and cafes will see you in Wallingford's bustling market square. With its royal charter, Wallingford hosts plenty of markets and there are also a number of successful antiques businesses. Coupled with cafés and restaurants, visitors can be sure of a relaxing stay in Wallingford.

Mooring facilities are available on either bank, and Wallingford boasts a Thames-side campsite, open-air swimming pool and large public park.

Five Things to Do in Wallingford

• Explore the Midsomer connections with a downloadable walking trail or find out more at the Wallingford Museum which also has an exhibition on Agatha Christie.
• Have a picnic in Wallingford Castle Meadows and Castle Gardens, these are popular recreational facilities.
• Discover the river Thames with a boat trip to Reading or Abingdon with Salters Steamers (summer only). Boats depart from Riverside Pool and Park complex (Crowmarsh side, nearest postcode is OX10 8HB).Check the website for scheduled cruises.
• Or hire a self-drive electric boat from Pure Boating at the Boathouse pub, for an hour or more and enjoy the river at your own pace.
• Take a walk along the Thames Path National Trail to Days Lock or Dorchester on Thames via Benson and Shillingford and through the water meadows where the Thame river meets the Thames, with the back drop of Wittenham Clumps (ancient Roman fort) and Wittenham woods. Visit Dorchester Abbey, or cross Little Wittenham Bridge and explore The Wittenham Clumps; clumps of beech trees, the oldest known planted hilltop beeches in England, dating back over 300 years. You can catch the bus back or in summer you can take the boat from Wallingford with Salters Steamers to Days Lock and walk back. Download the Trail with information for travelling by train.