A Brief History of Wallingford Arcade

                      (Formerly the Lamb Arcade)

 

 

The Past

Records show that an inn has been situated on the crossroads of High Street and Castle Street in Wallingford since 1550. It received its original name, The Lamb around 1688 and there is a record that the Prince of Orange stayed here on his way to London to be crowned King in 1689.  In the 18th Century,  a new wing was added to the front of the building and the archway where coaches were driven through to the stables, which is now the front entrance of Wallingford Arcade

 

In 1980 this coaching inn was converted into an Antiques Arcade after being derelict for some years.  It  is now a thriving antiques centre which attracts antiques enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world. Dealers are available on the premises to give personal service and advice. There is also a beautiful Tearoom and a wonderful Thai Restaurant (open in the evenings).

Picture: Hania Franek

 

Wallingford Castle, Oxfordshire was built by Robert D’Oyly between 1067 and 1071 on orders from William the Conqueror, and strengthened by Brien FitzCount before the

wars between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. It was used by supporters of Charles I during the civil war with Oliver Cromwell and in 1646 was the last English stronghold.  Cromwell later ordered it to be destroyed  (1652). The site is now a public park managed by the Earth Trust.

 

The mansion, abandoned due to rising costs, was demolished in 1972, allowing Wallingford Castle to be declared a scheduled monument as well as a Grade I listed building. The castle grounds, including the remains of St. Nicholas College, two sections of castle wall and the motte hill, are now open to the public.

 

The Present &  The Future

The Lamb was purchased in 2022 by Adrian Gilmour who also owns the renowned Hungerford Arcade.

 

As with Hungerford Arcade, Adrian has invested a great deal of time and money on Wallingford Arcade and will be doing so year on year.  One of the first things he did was change the name to “Wallingford Arcade”  because people outside of Wallingford thought it was a pub/hotel.  This has proved very popular with our stallholders and visitors.

 

We are very proud to have welcomed 20 new dealers in addition to the 50 traders already here specialising in every antique from 50p to £15,000.  Together all of us at Wallingford Arcade we will make your visit special and like all our visitors, home and abroad, a place you will very much want to return to time and again.

 

The transformation inside and outside of this historic building is amazing and people are just in awe when they come in.  This makes us all very proud to be a part of Wallingford Arcade.  We look forward very much to your visit where a warm welcome always awaits you.

 

 

 

Dog friendly

Quality lunches and teas

We are open 7 days a week

 

Tel: 01491 835166

Email: wallingfordarcade@gmail.com