Shillingford - History

History

At various times the river crossing at Shillingford has been a ford, a ferry or a bridge. The present bridge was built in 1827, replacing a previous one built in 1767.

The river crossing has long made Shillingford an important junction.

  • The main road between Dorchester and Henley-on-Thames through Shillingford was made a turnpike in 1736. It was disturnpiked in 1873. It became the A415 in 1922, renumbered to the A423 in the 1930s, and now forms part of the A4074 and A4130 roads.
  • The main road between Reading and Shillingford through Wallingford and over the bridge was made a turnpike in 1764. It was disturnpiked in 1874. It became the main road between Reading and Oxford, part of the A42 when roads were first classified in 1922, renumbered the A329 in 1935. In 1993, when the new Winterbrook Bridge enabled traffic to by-pass Wallingford, the section between Wallingford and Shillingford was downgraded to become an unclassified road
  • The road between Aylesbury, Thame and Shillingford was made a turnpike in 1770. It was disturnpiked in 1875. It became the B4013, upgraded to become the A329 when the M40 motorway was opened in the 1970s.

The artist and performer Vivian Stanshall (1943–1995) was born in Shillingford.

Shillingford has a public house, the Kingfisher Inn.

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