How many things can you see at Oxford Castle?

• Bring your family to a rich history tour of Oxford
• Bring your work team for an entertaining and educational outing
• Spice up a date with the suspenseful stories from prison life
• Experience the rich history of Oxford through an interactive tour
• Learn about how different prisoners were treated, with storytelling that is dramatic and captivating
• Find out more about the legends of the dungeon

It is incredible how many things you can see at Oxford Castle!

Oxford Castle is a key part of Oxford’s history, with the original Saxon burgh being built around it in 1071. All Oxford sites have associations with legends and Oxford Castle is no different.

One of Oxford Castle’s most famous legends is that it held legendary prisoners in the past. Many authors have suggested Oxford University itself was a product of Oxford Castle’s imprisonment of its only daughter, Oxford The Fair.

Some historians believe that Oxford Castle was built on top of an older Roman fort and it did become a prison in the late 1100s. It was also used as a prison during the English Civil War. However, these uses were not the basis for Oxford legends.

The interesting Oxford Castle story that Oxford authors like to tell is about Oxford’s own daughter, Oxford The Fair. Oxford The Fair was given in marriage to Henry I and the castle became a royal possession in name. However, early Norman monarchs preferred nearby Beaumont (or Windsor) Castle and neglected Oxford Castle.

The escape of queen maud

The most dramatic episode in Oxford Castle’s military history occurred in 1142, during the height of the Civil War involving King Stephen and Queen Maud. Maud’s forces were trapped within the castle, and capitulation appeared to be near.

Maud was slipped over the castle walls in the dark of night, draped in a white cloak for concealment against the swirling snow, and slipped through the king’s army camp and over the frozen Thames to safety.

Oxford Castle Oxford. Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.

St George’s Tower, where the tours are famously started, is Oxford’s oldest structure, constructed about 1009 to keep away Vikings as one of four towers on the city walls.

You next visit the 11th-century crypt of St George’s Chapel, which may have been Oxford’s first official teaching location, and the 18th-century Debtors’ Tower to hear about the gruesome lives, daring escapes, and brutal punishments of numerous Victorian inmates.

• Oxford Castle is home to many of Britain’s most gruesome and interesting legends. If you’re looking for a thrilling and twisted family excursion, we’ve got it!
• Explore the haunted history of one of England’s most complex castles. See why people say that “nothing good ever happened here” firsthand on your next trip with us!
• Spend an unforgettable day exploring Oxford Castle as well as hearing about some of its more famous inmates such as Oscar Wilde and Charles I.
• Come explore this historic prison town walls, which have been witness to so much darkness throughout history.
• Visit britainscastles.com and oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk for much more informational content.

• Climb the 101 steps for an outstanding view from st. Georges tower to enjoy panoramic views of oxford.

• Descend and invade the candle-lit crypt underground.

• Investigate and walk inside jail cells from the 18th century.

• Experience the magic of a guided tour.

Oxford Castle – The Saxon Town Walls and the legendary prison