[4] By the end of the 18th century the town had six inns, all of which were bought up in the next few years by a local brewing family, the Haywards.

The number of licensed premises increased until late in the 19th century when George Wilkinson, a Methodist bought six of them and closed them down.

Today Watlington has three public houses remaining: The Spire & Spoke (formerly the Carriers Arms), The Chequers[5] and The Fat Fox Inn.

It is thought that John Hampden stayed in the town the night before the Battle of Chalgrove Field.

The Ridgeway National Trail walking route, which is part of the longer Icknield Way, passes nearby between the town and the hill.

Due to its close proximity and easy access to the Chilterns, Watlington is a popular gateway to the many outdoor activities in the area, including hill walking, cycling and birdwatching, especially of the red kite, which is well established in the vicinity.

This was designed by local squire Edward Horne, who felt that the parish church of St Leonard, when viewed from his home, would be more impressive if it appeared to have a spire.

He therefore had this unusual folly cut into the chalk soil in 1764, and it continues to this day to be maintained by the local residents.

The church was extensively rebuilt in the 14th century, and the arcade of the south aisle survives from this period.

[15] The south chapel is 15th century, built for Maud Warner as a memorial for her husband Richard, a woolman.

In 1763 Edward Horne, a local landowner, obtained permission to build a burial vault east of the Warner chapel and south of the chancel.

William Brown, the chaplain at Stonor Park, brought about the building of the Roman Catholic church of the Sacred Heart in Watlington.

[2] The present Roman Catholic church in Watlington is dedicated to St Edmund Campion,[20] a Jesuit priest who was executed at Tyburn in 1581.

Methodist preachers visited Watlington by invitation from 1764, with John Wesley himself preaching in the town in 1766, 1774 and 1775.

[23] Lower secondary education for students up to the age of 16 from Watlington and many of the surrounding villages is provided by Icknield Community College, a mixed-sex comprehensive school.

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian.

[37] The pivotal balloon-accident-scene in the opening chapter of the novel Enduring Love by Ian McEwan takes place on an escarpment of the Chiltern Hills above Watlington.

Bus routes serving Watlington have been reduced in the 2010s because of funding cuts by Oxfordshire County Council.