Wallingford

Wallingford is a market town in Oxfordshire (Berkshire until 1974) which is thought to be the inspiration for the town of Market Basing in the Christie stories. Just outside the town is the hamlet of Winterbrook. Christie and her husband Max Mallowan bought Winterbrook House in 1934 and lived there until her death in 1976. A little further to the south is the village of Cholsey, the location of St Mary's Church where Christie worshipped and was buried.

In Wallingford there is an antiques centre "The Lamb Arcade", formerly a coaching inn known as "The Lamb". In Christie's notes on her general plan for the novel Dumb Witness, she writes that Poirot decides to go to Market Basing. There is then the mention of "The Lamb". In the end, though, Poirot stayed at The George.

Wallingford has a town museum which hosts a permanent exhibition on the life and works of Agatha Christie. The town also hosts occasional Agatha Christie events and has establised "The Agatha Christie Trail", a six mile walking route covering places of interest linked to Christie.

In Cards on the Table, Rhoda Dawes and Anne Meredith lived at Wendon Cottage on the Marlbury Road at Wallingford.