Oxford Castle

Oxford Castle stands on the western edge of central Oxford, beside a diverted stream from the Thames now called Castle Mill Stream. The oldest part is the rectangular St George’s Tower, built before the Normans arrived and once part of the Saxon west gate. The rest of the castle was begun in 1071 by Robert D’Oyly the elder, a Norman baron who had fought with William the Conqueror. A large motte and bailey was raised, later rebuilt in stone, and the site became one of England’s most important urban castles. By the 14th century its military use declined and it became Oxford’s county hall and prison. The castle played a leading part in the Anarchy, the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. In 1142 Matilda was besieged inside the castle for three months until she escaped one December night, either down the frozen mill stream or through a postern gate. The siege mounds built by Stephen’s men, Jew’s Mount and Mount Pelham, still mark the spot. After the Civil War most of the castle was slighted, and in the 18th century the remaining buildings were turned into the county gaol. A new prison was added in 1785 and enlarged in 1876, becoming HM Prison Oxford until it closed in 1996. Visitors now walk the medieval curtain wall and climb the motte for views across Oxford. St George’s Tower houses a small chapel with a crypt moved here in 1794, and the 13th-century shell keep encloses a deep well and an underground chamber. The prison buildings have been turned into a hotel, and guided tours lead through the 18th-century cell blocks and along the old execution walk. The castle’s Grade I listed ruins and the prison courtyard together show nine centuries of Oxford’s history.