Oxford Castle

The Old Meets The New At Oxford Castle

Oxford Castle is one of the major landmarks of the Oxford skyline and has been for hundreds of years now. It is also one of the essential visiting spots in the city at the moment. The castle itself is a testament to the heritage of Oxford and the battles that were waged here in days gone by, but it also has that authentic English feel that attracts so many visitors from overseas these days!

Oxford Castle has an extremely illustrious and fascinating past. It was actually built between 1071 and the end of that decade initially, although it was renovated a number of times as well as having various security features added on, such as the fifty foot wall that surrounds the castle to this day. That was not originally part of the design. The erection of the castle came as a result of the Norman Conquest of 1066 because Robert D’Oyly (its owner) was actually a Norman baron sent to exercise control over the surrounding area.

Of course, this is only the beginning of the fascinating history of Oxford Castle. It retains many of the original features, despite the fact that it actually became a host to Oxford Prison in 1888! The fascinating tours that are conducted in the castle every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, can highlight very secret of the castle and have a habit of making the history that was made there come to life. Each and every tour is informative and will have you gasping in awe at just how magnificent the structure actually is, especially as it was able to withstand a siege for several days in the 12th Century!

Today, many British natives will recognise Oxford Castle as the backdrop for TV’s Bad Girls. It was used as the backdrop for the popular show for the first three seasons and so is a site for fans to visit as well. It is certainly amazing that the old and the new have been able to coexist side by side, and now you have the chance to experience it all so do not pass it up!