Wallingford Castle - model

What is it?

Architectural model maker, Ben Taggart, together with Wallingford Museum’s dedicated team of researchers, has created an extraordinary 1:300 scale model (1.5m x1.6m) of Wallingford’s royal castle, at the height of its power in the mid 14th century. This scale model of the castle and north-eastern quarter of the town is based on thorough research from documents, excavations, geophysics and landscape archaeology. Shortly after the Norman conquest, in 1067, the Normans began to build a massive castle here which was to dominate the town’s history for the next 600 years. Finally during the Civil Wars of King Charles I Wallingford Castle was held by the Royalists who wanted to guard the important river crossing point. Parliamentarian forces could not capture the castle and the siege only ended when the Royalist commander, Colonel Blagge, surrendered the castle. In 1652, after Oliver Cromwell decided that the castle should be totally destroyed so that it could not become a threat again. You can follow up your visit to the museum with a visit to Castle Gardens and Castle Meadows to explore what remains for yourself.