Alley and St Leonard's Church
Go straight down the alley and turn left into the church ground. After viewing the church come back out of the gate and turn right down Thames Street until you come to Wallingford Rowing Club.

Jill Eyers talks about the stones of St. Leonard's Church

Prehistoric: Time to do a bit more detective work here. Take a look at the walls of St. Leonard's Church and you'll see a variety of building materials that trace the geological history of the town.

Stones in the church wall

See if you can spy flint and different kinds of pebbles. The angular pebbles have come from the tops of hills made from the ancient Thames gravels from the Ice Age. The rounded pebbles have come from the local rivers, while the chalk is of course that Prehistoric clunch.

Now look even closer. Do you see some grey stone with what looks like shells in it? These Jurassic rocks have come from near Oxford and date back to probably 180 million years ago.

Oolith

The shells and Ooliths, have come from the warm sea back when it covered Wallingford (imagine it as warm as the Bahamas). Can you see some red bits of brick? These may well be old Roman bricks from Roman Villas near Wallingford that existed before Anglo Saxons times. Such Roman history has now disappeared into this beautiful church.

Malcolm Airs talks about the architecture of the church

Anglo Saxons : If you lived in Anglo Saxon times then St. Leonard's Church may have been your place of worship. It is the oldest remaining church in the town. Look closely at the evidence of change, from the Norman herringbone pattern in the stonework above the door on the north side, to the overriding impression of a 19th century church as it was restored during the Gothic revival period. Architects have added many new features during the years, such as the tower built by Arthur William Hakewill, (pupil of well known architect Henry Holland) in 1849.

Judy Dewey talks about the Wilder Railings

Industries: Have a look at the railings on the side of the churchyard.

The 'Wilder' stamp

Can you see the name of the Wilder family stamped on them?

Amazingly these railings survived the 2nd World War, when most ironwork was stripped away for the war effort.

Dominic Lamb talks about the wildlife in the Churchyard

Conservation: Standing in the churchyard, you may not be aware just what a haven it is for wildlife. Look at those impressive yew trees that surround it. They're about 600 years old and provide a vital habitat for snails, such as the Girdled Snail, and bats. The building work that took place in the church has provided an area of chalk which now attracts plants typical of chalk grassland, eg Wild Marjoram and St. John's Wort.

The Girdled Snail

The meadow area on one side of the church is covered with Cuckoo flower in spring. Back in 1998 there were 10,000 cuckoo flower plants here. The Orange Tip butterfly feeds on these so you'll also see many of them in the area. Watch out for the Banded Demoiselle, a striking dragon fly that visits from the riverside. Even the church walls provide a home for wildlife.

The lime mortar that has been exposed by the church door reveals the Yellow Corydalis flower which is a great source of nectar to insects. Have a look up to the church roof and you'll notice the lichens, mosses and Stonecrop growing there. Carry on looking to the skies and you may be fortunate enough to spy a Red Kite. There will be all kinds of birds in the trees during the year including Swallows, Swifts, Martins and Blue Tits.