Oxford Castle and Prison

The city of Oxford may be primarily known for its incredible university, but it has many other historical treasures to reveal to you. Perhaps the most important is this Romanesque castle, which tells a whole chapter of the city’s history. To understand the origins of Oxford Castle, built for a Norman baron, one must go back to the medieval era. In the mid-11th century, England had about 1 million inhabitants. It had freed itself from Danish domination, and King Edward ruled the kingdom. Having no descendants, he promised his succession to a certain William, Duke of Normandy, as he was his cousin on his mother’s side. Sensing that this might not go smoothly, the king had the powerful lords of his realm sign a pledge of loyalty to his successor. But upon the king’s death, one of them tured his back on his oath and claimed to anyone who would listen that the good King Edward, on his deathbed, had finally designated him as his successor. The other lords, preferring a local ruler to a foreigner, accepted the imposture. However, William was still keen on becoming the King of England. He then decided to set out to conquer his promised land. These were the Norman invasions. But a third competitor emerged, Harold III of Norway, who pulled out an old treaty stating that in the event of no male offspring, the throne would go to Norway. In short, novels and TV series certainly didn’t invent anything. And it’s time for battles. In the end, after winning the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066William won the throne . He then became known as William the Conqueror and was crowned at Westminster Abbey. That’s a major turning point in England’s history. The Norman victors and their French, Flemish, and Breton allies take the place and lands of the Anglo-Saxon nobility, thus linking England’s history to that of continental Europe, and that of France in particular, for several centuries. Anyway, now you understand better in what atmosphere this castle was built. The original site was built on the old feudal mound that you see on the right. In 1074, St. George’s Chapel was built. It is the first collegiate church located inside of an English castle. It should be noted that in Norman times, there were always scholars among the canons. The chapel is therefore considered the seed from which the prestigious University of Oxford sprouted. One of these scholars was the Welsh monk Geoffrey of Monmouth. In 1136 he wrote The History of the Kings of Britain, which presented one of the earliest accounts of the legend of King Arthur. So, in less than 5 kilometers, you’ve crossed paths with the places that inspired Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, and the legends of King Arthur. There must be something in the air; it’s just not possible. St. George’s Tower, which you will see attached to the mound, is the most important structure of the castle and would have been a watchtower at the west gate of the old city. Then, our castle found itself at the heart of important conflicts and was besieged twice. After the civil war of 1230, many medieval castles like Oxford’s were declared militarily unsuitable, and Parliament transformed them into prisons. It is said that at Oxford Castle Prison held the most dangerous prisoners, and that their ghosts still haunt the place. This castle is considered to be the site with the highest concentration of supernatural events in England, and numerous unverified reports recount many strange occurrences. But, ghosts or not, if there’s an incredible story with the prisoners, it’s Anne Greene’s. She was imprisoned, hanged, but survived her hanging, woke up on the dissecting table, and was eventually pardoned. She even left with her coffin as a souvenir! It wasn’t until 1996 that the prison closed its doors for good, and the place was transformed into a hotel and tourist complex. You can take tours with guides dressed in authentic costumes who will show you the oldest sites of the complex and tell you all about the legends and secrets of the castle. Otherwise, you can wander through the freely accessible spaces and enjoy a drink in this place that has certainly experienced so much.