Thames Crossings Near Wallingford from Roman to Early Norman Times
Thames Crossings near Wallingford from Roman to Early Norman Times A.J. Grayson Summary This article presents evidence for the location of Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and early Norman crossings of the Thames near Wallingford. The likely crossing points to Wallingford from the east bank of the river were between Day’s Lock, near Dorchester, and Goring to the south. The two most important fords were at Shillingford and Wallingford, giving access to Wallingford from lands to the north, east, and south-east. Both were subsequently the sites of bridges, Shillingford perhaps as early as the tenth century. he purpose of this study is to review evidence for early Thames crossings which gave access to TWallingford (Oxon., formerly Berks.), and to discuss their evolution. The relevant stretch of the river is downstream from Day’s Lock, west of Dorchester, to Goring and Streatley, 8 km south of Wallingford.1 Access to Wallingford from Abingdon further north did not require a Thames crossing, while access from Goring and its hinterland to the east and south-east would have been feasible via the ford at Wallingford and, in low flow conditions, Moulsford or Goring/Streatley. Here, as elsewhere, river crossings, whether natural or man-made, were crucial in determining road alignments and to a lesser extent the location of settlements close to the river. Wallingford has been chosen as the focus for two reasons. The first is the fact that at least from the early Middle Ages Wallingford was the lowest point on the Thames with an all-season ford.2 This was no doubt important to Alfred when he chose this location for a Thames-side burh, a siting which reflects the importance given to the defence of the crossing.
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