Oxford Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oxford Castle |
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| Oxfordshire, England | |
St George's Tower, Oxford Castle, viewed from the Castle Mill Stream
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 Oxford Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°45′06″N 1°15′48″W / 51.7517°N 1.2632°W |
| Type | Shell keep and bailey |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Oxfordshire County Council |
| Condition | Ruined, elements used as a hotel |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Coral rag and gravel |
Oxford Castle is an old Norman castle in Oxford, England. It's partly in ruins today. Most of the first castle was made of wood and had a moat (a ditch filled with water). It was a "motte and bailey" castle. This means it had a large earth mound (the motte) with a tower, and a walled courtyard (the bailey).
Later, in the late 1100s or early 1200s, the castle was rebuilt with stone. It played a big part in a war called the Anarchy. By the 1300s, the castle wasn't as important for fighting. It became a place for local government and a prison.
The tall, square St George's Tower is part of the castle. Experts now think it's even older than the rest of the castle. It might have been a watchtower for the old Saxon town gate.
Most of Oxford Castle was destroyed during the English Civil War. By the 1700s, the remaining buildings were used as Oxford's local prison. A new prison complex was built there from 1785. It was expanded in 1876 and became HM Prison Oxford.
The prison closed in 1996. The site was then turned into a hotel and a place for visitors. The old parts of the castle, like the motte, St George's Tower, and a crypt, are now protected historic buildings.
Contents
Building Oxford Castle: A Stronghold's Start
Who Built Oxford Castle and When?
Oxford Castle was built by a Norman lord named Robert D'Oyly the elder. He started building it between 1071 and 1073. Robert D'Oyly came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. William gave him a lot of land in Oxfordshire.
Oxford town had been damaged during the Norman invasion. So, William told D'Oyly to build a castle there. This castle would help control the town. D'Oyly became a very important landowner in the area.
Where Was the Castle Built?
D'Oyly chose a spot on the west side of Oxford. He used a natural stream from the River Thames for protection. This stream, now called Castle Mill Stream, was also used to create a moat around the castle.
Some people wondered if an older English fort was there before. But archaeologists haven't found clear proof of an earlier fort. Oxford Castle was built right over part of the old Saxon town wall.
What Did the First Castle Look Like?
The first Oxford Castle was probably a large "motte and bailey" castle. It was similar to one D'Oyly had already built at Wallingford. The motte (earth mound) was about 60 feet (18 m) (18 meters) high and 40 feet (12 m) (12 meters) wide. It was made of gravel and clay.
By the late 1100s or early 1200s, the wooden walls and tower were replaced with stone. The new stone wall included St George's Tower. This tower is about 30 by 30 feet (9 m × 9 m) (9 x 9 meters) at its base. It gets narrower towards the top.
Experts now believe St George's Tower is much older than the rest of the castle. It might be a Saxon watchtower from around 1020. It was probably part of the Saxon city's west gate. Its direction doesn't quite match the rest of the castle. Also, it was very tall, giving great views over the city.
Inside the Castle Walls
Inside the castle, there was a chapel with a crypt (an underground room). This chapel was next to St George's Tower. It might have been built on the site of an even older church. The chapel had strong pillars and arches, typical of early Norman design.
A stone tower, built in the 1200s, replaced an earlier wooden one. It was 58 feet (18 m) (17.7 meters) across and had ten sides. Inside this tower, stairs led down 20 feet (6 m) (6 meters) to an underground stone room. This room had a 54 feet (16 m) (16.5 meters) deep well. This well provided water if the castle was under attack.
Oxford Castle in Times of War
The Anarchy: A Royal Escape
Robert D'Oyly the younger, the nephew of the castle's builder, owned Oxford Castle during the Anarchy. This was a civil war in the 1140s. Robert first supported King Stephen, but then switched to support Empress Matilda. Matilda was Stephen's cousin and wanted to be queen.
In 1141, Empress Matilda came to Oxford Castle to plan her campaign. King Stephen quickly marched from Bristol in late 1142. He attacked Oxford town and surrounded Matilda in the castle. Stephen set up two large mounds next to the castle. He put siege machines on them, mostly to show off. Then he waited for Matilda's supplies to run out. This siege lasted for three months.
In December, Matilda made a daring escape. A popular story says she waited until the Castle Mill Stream froze over. Then, dressed in white to blend in with the snow, she was lowered down the castle walls. She escaped through Stephen's lines in the night. Another story says she escaped through one of the gates. Matilda reached safety, and Oxford Castle surrendered to Stephen the next day.
Later Conflicts and Changes
The castle was attacked again during the First Barons' War (1215–17). This led to more improvements in its defenses. In 1220, a man named Falkes de Breauté added a moated barbican. This was an extra fortified gatehouse to protect the main entrance.
King Henry III later turned part of the castle into a prison. It was used to hold troublesome university students. He also improved the castle chapel. He added stained glass windows in 1243 and 1246. However, Oxford Castle never became a royal home. This was because Beaumont Palace was already used by the king.
Oxford Castle: From Fortress to Prison
Decline of Military Use
By 1327, the castle's defenses were in bad shape. It would have cost a lot of money to fix them. From the 1350s onwards, the castle was not used much for military purposes. It was allowed to fall apart.
The castle became the main place for running the county of Oxford. It served as a jail and a criminal court. Courts were held there until 1577. That year, a terrible plague broke out, known as the "Black Assize". Many important people died, including the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. After this, courts were no longer held at the castle.
Maps from the late 1500s and early 1600s show the castle changing. The outer gatehouse (barbican) was pulled down for houses. The moat was slowly filled in. In 1611, King James I sold Oxford Castle. It was then sold to Christ Church College in 1613. The college rented it out to local families.
The English Civil War and Destruction
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The English Civil War began in 1642. The Royalists made Oxford their capital city. In 1646, Parliament's army successfully surrounded and took Oxford. Colonel Ingoldsby's forces occupied the city.
Ingoldsby improved the castle's defenses. In 1649, he pulled down most of the old medieval stone walls. He replaced them with modern earth defenses. He also reinforced the main tower (keep) with earthworks. This probably created a platform for cannons.
In 1652, during the third English Civil War, the Parliament's soldiers pulled down these defenses too. They retreated to New College instead. This caused a lot of damage to the college. Oxford didn't see any more fighting. In the early 1700s, the keep was pulled down. The top of the earth mound was flattened.
Oxford Castle as a Prison
After the Civil War, Oxford Castle was mainly used as the local prison. Like other prisons back then, the owners rented it out to wardens. These wardens made money by charging prisoners for food and lodging. The prison also had a gallows for executions.
For most of the 1700s, the prison was in bad condition. The prison reformer John Howard visited several times. He criticized how small and poor the prison was. He also noted how many pests were there. Because of his criticism, the county decided to rebuild the prison.
In 1785, the Oxford County Justices bought the castle. Rebuilding began with architect William Blackburn. The wider castle area was already changing. A new road was built through the castle grounds. The last parts of the castle moat were filled in. This made way for a new canal.
Building the new prison involved moving parts of the old chapel. The work was finished in 1805. The new governor, Daniel Harris, used prisoners to help with early archaeological digs at the castle.
In the 1800s, the site continued to grow. New buildings were added, like the County Hall in 1840–41. The prison itself was expanded in 1876. It grew to take up most of the remaining space. Even children were held there. In 1888, national prison reforms led to it being renamed HM Prison Oxford.
Oxford Castle Today: A Historic Site
The prison closed in 1996. The site was returned to Oxfordshire County Council. The old prison buildings have been turned into a restaurant and a heritage complex. You can take guided tours of the historic buildings. There are also open courtyards for markets and shows.
Part of the complex is now a hotel called Malmaison Oxford. It uses many of the old prison blocks. The cells have been turned into guest rooms! However, parts of the prison linked to harsh punishments are now offices. This project won an award in 2007.
Today, it's hard to see the full size of the original castle. A new building, County Hall, is on the eastern side. A road called New Road runs over where part of the old wall used to be. But the path of the old moat is still followed by some streets today. The remains of the old barbican are under the modern Westgate shopping center.
Since 1954, the oldest parts of the castle have been protected. These include the 11th-century motte with its 13th-century well. Also protected are the 11th-century St George's Tower and the moved crypt chapel. The 18th-century D-wing and Debtors' Tower are also listed. The whole site is a protected historic monument.
Today, you can take guided tours of the castle. These tours cover the medieval parts and the 18th-century prison.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Oxford para niños
