Castles · West Midlands
Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle — castle in Oxford incorporated into a now closed prison.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Oxford · 0.5 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Oxford Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Built in the Norman architecture style. Constructed primarily of gravel. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Robert D'Oyly. Part of Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Oxford incorporated into a now closed prison". Coordinates: 51.7518°, -1.2625°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined medieval castle on the western side of central Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Most of the original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century and the castle played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy. In the 14th century the military value of the castle diminished and the site became used primarily for county administration and as a prison. The surviving rectangular St George's Tower is now believed to pre-date the remainder of the castle and be a watch tower associated with the original Saxon west gate of the city. Most of the castle was destroyed in the English Civil War and by the 18th century the remaining buildings had become Oxford's local prison.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined medieval castle on the western side of central Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Most of the original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century and the castle played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy. In the 14th century the military value of the castle diminished and the site became used primarily for county administration and as a prison. The surviving rectangular St George's Tower is now believed to pre-date the remainder of the castle and be a watch tower associated with the original Saxon west gate of the city. Most of the castle was destroyed in the English Civil War and by the 18th century the remaining buildings had become Oxford's local prison. A new prison complex was built on the site from 1785 onwards and expanded in 1876; this became HM Prison Oxford. The prison closed in 1996 and was redeveloped as a hotel and visitor attraction. The medieval remains of the castle including the motte, St George's Tower and crypt, are Grade I listed buildings and a Scheduled Monument.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
According to the Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis (Abingdon Chronicle), Oxford Castle was built by the Norman baron Robert D'Oyly the elder from 1071 to 1073. D'Oyly had arrived in England with William I the Conqueror in the Norman Conquest of England, and William granted him extensive lands in Oxfordshire. In due course D'Oyly became the foremost landowner in Oxfordshire and was confirmed with a hereditary royal constableship for Oxford Castle. Oxford Castle is not among the 48 recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but not every castle in existence at the time was recorded in the survey. D'Oyly (d'Oilly)'s Oxford holdings are, however, mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Meadow 30 acres. 1…
Visiting
centre left, the square St George's Tower front left and the round Debtors' Tower (constructed in the 18th century, not part of the original building). Behind is Nuffield College with its square tower with a copper-covered flèche.]] by William Blackburn 1785–90, on foundations of 1235 round tower]] Today, the remains of the Saxon St.George's Tower, Motte-and-Bailey Mound, the Prison D-Wing and Debtor's Tower make up the Oxford Castle & Prison tourist attraction. columns and capitals]] The prison was closed in 1996 and the site reverted to Oxfordshire County Council. The Oxford Prison buildings have since been redeveloped as a restaurant and heritage complex, with guided tours of the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7518, -1.2625
- County
- Oxfordshire
- District
- Oxford
- Parish
- Oxford, unparished area
- Postcode
- OX1 1ND
- Parliamentary constituency
- Oxford West and Abingdon
- Nearest railway station
- Oxford — 0.5 km
- Official site
- www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q2600886 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Oxford Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Oxford-castle.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Oxford Castle?
- Oxford Castle is in Oxfordshire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode OX1 1ND), in the parish of Oxford, unparished area.
- Who owns Oxford Castle?
- Oxford Castle is owned by Robert D'Oyly.
- Is Oxford Castle a listed building?
- Oxford Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Oxford Castle charge admission?
- Oxford Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Oxford Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Oxford, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode OX1 1ND.