Crowmarsh Gifford Norman. A north transept with a pointed arch was added in about 1200. The building was restored in 1836 and 1868. In 1139 King Stephen built a wooden fort in Crowmarsh, the first of a series built in opposition to Wallingford Castle, which supported his cousin Matilda during the civil war known as The Anarchy. The forts were probably dismantled as a result of the Treaty of Wallingford of 1153. The castle at Crowmarsh consisted of a wide ditch surrounding an enclosure measuring . In 1701 agriculturist Jethro Tull invented his revolutionary seed drill here. In 1770 nearby Mongewell Park
Seed drill larger and more efficient drills that allowed farmers to seed ever larger tracts in a single day. Recent improvements to drills allow seed-drilling without prior tilling. This means that soils subject to erosion or moisture loss are protected until the seed germinates and grows enough to keep the soil in place. This also helps prevent soil loss by avoiding erosion after tilling. The development of the press drill was one of the major innovations in pre-1900 farming technology. "Drilling" is the term used for the mechanized sowing of an agricultural crop. Traditionally, a seed drill used to consist of a