Wallingford is a historic town in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated south of Oxford and is located on the western bank of the River Thames.
According to the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Arthur kept a treasury in a vault at Wallingford, which included a magnificent sword named Clarent. The treasury were ransacked by Mordred during his insurrection. When Arthur learned of it, he knew that Guenevere had known its location.
In Wallingford, Cligés spent his first fortnight or so in Britain. Near Wallingford, also, stayed most of the knights attending the Oxford tournament.
Wallingford | 1st century BC – 9th century AD
Roman Influence | 1st century BC – 5th century AD
During the Roman period, which began in the first century BC, Wallingford was part of the Roman province of Britannia. The Romans built roads and fortifications in the area, which would have influenced its early development.
Post-Roman Period | 5th -9th centuries
As the Roman Empire began to decline and eventually withdrew from Britain in the early fifth century, the region, including Wallingford, was subject to various migrations and incursions. The Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people, began to settle in Britain, and the native Britons faced significant changes in governance and culture. The early medieval period saw the emergence of local kingdoms and territories, with shifting political boundaries.
Anglo-Saxon and Viking Influence | 8th – 9th century
During the eighth century, the Viking invasions of Britain began, and the region that would become Wallingford saw Viking influence and settlement, particularly along waterways such as the Thames. This period marked significant changes in the political and social landscape of the region.
Source
Alliterative Morte Arthure | c. 1400