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. Her grave and that of Max Mallowan may be found at the northwest corner of the churchyard.

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 where he would stay at "The Lamb". In the end, the published book has Poirot staying at The George. The reason for this change is not clear. However, we may note that in Wallingford there is also a hotel named The George which is located on the same street just one block away from the Lamb. Which one did Christie imagine Poirot staying yet? Or perhaps elements of both?

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 established "The Agatha Christie Trail", a six mile walking route covering places of interest linked to Christie.

Just off the marketplace of Wallingford is the Corn Exchange Theatre, home of the Sinodun Players, a Wallingford-based drama company which Agatha Christie supported and was president of from 1951 to 1976.

In 2023, the Wallingford Town Council commissioned a live-sized bronze statue of Agatha Christie, depicting her seated on a bench. This will be set against the museum as a backdrop with Christie looking at Kine Croft, a large recreational field opposite the museum. Sculpted by Ben Twiston-Davies, who also designed the Agatha Christie Memorial in London, this statue depicts Christie looking out over the field "as if she's seen a clue for one of her stories". The statue was unveiled by Mathew Prichard on 9 Sep 2023.

Wallingford is believed to be the model for the fictional town of Market Basing, the site of a number of Agatha Christie's mysteries. St. Mary Mead, so Miss Marple tells us during the Nemesis case, is midway between the towns of Market Basing and another fictional town, Loomouth, on the southern coast. And, the actual town of Alton, Miss Marple further exclaims during the Nemesis case, is only about twenty-five miles from St Mary Mead.

Wallingford in works by Agatha Christie

Wallingford is mentioned by name in Cards on the Table. Rhoda Dawes and Anne Meredith lived at Wendon Cottage on the Marlbury Road (a fictional road) at Wallingford. In other stories, Wallingford was probably renamed Market Basing.

Wallingford's Market Place. As Tuppence would have discovered in Market Basing, there are several housing agents including some with offices fronting the market square.

The Church of St Mary-le-More at Wallingford is actually much nearer to Winterbrook House that the Church of St Mary at Cholsey but Agatha Christie worshipped at the latter place because Winterbrook belonged to its parish.

St Mary Street, one of the main shopping streets. There are many quaint shops here including some selling alarm clocks here. There is also another shop fronting the market square which sell such items. One or several of these could have inspired Murgatroyd's Stores.

The Five Little Pigs Restaurant, whose name is inspired by Christie's novel.