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Wallingford Churches

All Saints' Church (All Hallows') - outside the castle walls on the road to Shillingford
It is mentioned in a patent of 1200 - it is thought to have been destroyed in 1643, although the churchyard still remains, and was in use until 1859.

Catholic Church of St John the Evangelist - Market Place.
It was originally built in 1799 for the Congregationalists, who disbanded in 1881. It was reopened as a Catholic church in 1920, and rebuilt in the 1950s, with further changes in the 1990s.

Jireh Chapel - corner of Wood Street and New Road
This was home to a group of Calvinists from 1863-1928, taking its name from "Jehovah Jireh" ("The Lord will provide"). The building was demolished in the 1970s.

Holy Trinity - Wallingford Priory - on the site of the Bullcroft, High Street
It is thought to have been established by Paul de Caen of St Albans, probably with funding from Robert D'Oyley, who fortified Wallingford Castle. Land was granted to St Albans in 1097 by Henry I, and Geoffrey the Chamberlain gave the priory to St Albans. John of Wallingford", Richard of Wallingford and William of Wallingford were all abbots at St Albans. It was dissolved in 1524 by Cardinal Wolsey. Work at 56, High Street in 1983 exposed burials in chalk cists which are believed to be part of the cemetery.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=40059
http://www.berkshirehistory.com/churches/wallingford_priory.html

St John's super-Aquam, - on the North side of Castle Priory

The Bennett memorial, All Hallows' churchyard; the Quakers meeting house, the former Primitive Methodist chapel; St Peter's Church

St John the Baptist - the chapel in St John's Hospice, near St John's Green
The first reference to the hospice is when Henry III granted letters of protection to its master and bretheren in 1224. It was subsequently supported by Simon de Montfort. Part of the building is thought to have been incorporated into a cottage at the site.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=40076

St Leonard’s Church - St Leonard's Lane

St Leonard's at Wallingford by Alfred J. Church from Summer Days on the Thames, 1890

Believed to have 11th century origins, likely to have been built by Robert D'Oyley. It was known to be active from 1299 and St Luciens was later united with it. The building was used as a barracks for Parliamentarian soldiers during the Civil War, and much of the building was damaged by fire. It reopened in 1704. The church was further restored (or "mistreated" according to Nikolaus Pevsner) in 1849-50 by Henry Hakewill, and is still in use.
Plan of St Leonard’s, 1850 http://www.churchplansonline.org/show_full_image.asp?resource_id=03346.tif
http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/be/walli/
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=249293

St Lucien's or St Lucian's - was "five poles south of the almshouses" - approximately where the Police Station is on Reading Road
It was given to Christchurch College, Oxford, by Henry I in 1199.

St Martin's Church - between St Martin's St and Goldsmith's Lane
John Fisher was rector in 1298, and Hugh Roches the last recorded rector in 1396. By 1412 the church was delapidated. The site was excavated in 2004 during the construction of the new Waitrose building, and more than 210 burials found, 20 of those being Saxon.

St Mary Grace - near the west end of the bridge, High Street
This small chapel dates from before 1533, and was probably destroyed by Parliamentarians during the Civil War.

St Mary-le-Less Church - the High Street
It united with St Peter's in 1374, when the building was in ruins.

St Mary-le-More Church - Market Place

St Marys, From a A Short History of Wallingford, J. K. Hedges (1893)

Rectors date back to Richard Mortor, 1312. It was made the "mother church" of all the parishes, creating the parish "Saint Mary le More and All Hallows with Saint Leonard and Saint Peter", which appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest name for a parish. The tower, destroyed by lightning in 1638, was rebuilt by Will Loader in 1653, just after the castle was demolished. It was the only church to escape serious damage and to be in continual use after the Civil War. The church was substantially rebuilt by David Brandon in 1854. It is still in use.
http://www.marylemore.co.uk/1914.html
Plan of St Mary-Le-More, 1854
http://www.churchplansonline.org/show_full_image.asp?resource_id=04753.tif
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=249278

St Michael's Church - on the site of Cattlemarket car park
It was in existence in 1271. A graveyard and bell pit were found in an excavation by The Wallingford History and Archaeological Society.

St Nicholas's College - within the castle. The charter of foundation is dated at 1278, and Edward of Cornwall is believed to have been the founder, although Miles Crispin, who died in 1107, is credited as the founder of the Wallingford prebends. A steeple was built between 1510-1536. Following its suppresion, in 1548 it was purchased by Christchurch College Oxford as a resting place in times of sickness and visitation. A fragment remains within the Castle Gardens. It has windows and doors that date from the 14th or 15th Century and it appears there was an undercroft.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=40079
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=249219

St Peter's Church - Thames Street
First listed rector was Simon de Marten in 1320. The church was destroyed in during the siege of Wallingford in 1646. Rebuilding started in 1763, by William Toovey and Joseph Tuckwell, with completion in 1769, with a new spire, constructed by Robert Taylor (described as "rather cheeky" by architecture critic Nikolaus Pevsner), added in 1777: in part paid for by Justice William Blackstone. The ("unfortunate" - Pevsner) apse was added in 1904. While the building remains, it is not in active use.
http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/content.php?nID=11&churchID=308
http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/2976.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Taylor_(architect)
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=249326

St Peter’s in the West - probably on the Kinecroft
Built before 1271, it was united with St John's in 1352 and with St Mary the Less and St Michael's in 1374.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) - Castle Street
Built in 1724.
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=249228

Ridgeway Community Church - St Mary's Street
In 1977 they took over the Primitive Methodist Church, built 1888 in St Mary's Street, which closed in 1934. It was used by Petitt's store as a carpet shop and as a public library in the interim.
http://www.ridgeway-church.org.uk/who_we_are.htm

St Ruald's (later St Rumbold's) - near the Wilder's foundry site on Goldsmith's Lane
It was known to be functioning around 1342, but is thought to be late 8th century in origin. Around 50 burials were found here, during the construction of the foundry, mainly 12th century or earlier.

Stennet's Meeting House, Castle Grounds
This non-conformist meeting house was established by Edward Stennet in the 17th century, after the destruction ot the castle.

Wallingford Baptist Church. Thames Street
Built in 1794 by Richard Lovegrove, who owned the adjoining Calleva House.
http://www.wallingford.org.uk

Wallingford Christian Assembly - The Gospel Hall, Atwell Close
Built in 1995 (assemblies met in the Scout Hut prior to that).

Wallingford Methodist Church  - St Leonard's Square
Built in 1873.
http://www.wallingfordmethodistchurch.org.uk/

Wigod Way Christian Centre - Wigod Way, formerly Wallingford Pentecostal Church
It was established by Ernest Newbold in 1960s, and closed in 1962 - it remains disused.

This site Copyright of Wallingford History Gateway Productions 2005