Oxford Castle & Prison - Front Range - Slug & Lettuce and Malmaison

Walked past Oxford Castle & Prison on New Road in Oxford City Centre, but didn't visit the castle, or later go back.

The whole site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Oxford Castle

Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined medieval castle on the western side of central Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Most of the original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century and the castle played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy. In the 14th century the military value of the castle diminished and the site became used primarily for county administration and as a prison. The surviving rectangular St George's Tower is now believed to pre-date the remainder of the castle and be a watch tower associated with the original Saxon west gate of the city.

Most of the castle was destroyed in the English Civil War and by the 18th century the remaining buildings had become Oxford's local prison. A new prison complex was built on the site from 1785 onwards and expanded in 1876; this became HM Prison Oxford.

The prison closed in 1996 and was redeveloped as a hotel and visitor attraction. The medieval remains of the castle including the motte, St George's Tower and crypt, are Grade I listed buildings and a Scheduled Monument.

Grade II listed building

Front Range With Entrance Including a Wing and Link to Wing With Former Chapel

Details
HM PRISON OXFORD NEW ROAD SP 5106 SW 8/10011 Front range with Entrance inc. A Wing & Link to Wing with former Chapel GV II Administrative range, former chapel and prison wing. Front Range c1800 with mid C19 and later alterations; A Wing and Link 1848-56 by H.J. Underwood and J. C. Buckler. Coursed rubble with stone dressings. Front range 2 storeys with Tudor arched, hoodmoulded entrance in canted wing to left; until the mid C19 entrance in the central crenellated tower with stone buttresses. Tower now with 2 hoodmoulded windows to ground floor and 1 at 1st floor with 2 cruciform arrow slits above and corbels below parapet. Ashlar dressed windows to range linked by continuous hoodmoulds at ground floor and sill bands to 1st. Interior converted for administration. Public executions were carried out on the tower until 1863. Link Building 3 storeys. 4 windows deep. Each angle with a machicolated tower; parapet to front rises behind former entrance tower. Machicolated parapet to returns. Inteior converted for administration but sanctuary arch, cornice and raked floor of former chapel extant. A Wing 3 storeys and semi-basement. Long range parallel to entrance range. 2nd and 3rd floor stone-dressed windows with slightly pointed arches and continuous sill bands. Large tripartite windows to gable ends light internal atrium with galleries to low-height cell entrances; cells barrel-vaulted.

Listing NGR: SP5106906178

Slug & Lettuce and Malmaison

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Taken in: UK / England / Oxford / Oxford (show map)

Taken on: September 9, 2024

Tags:

Oxford Castle & Prison

Oxford

England

United Kingdom

Great Britain

tree

trees

Scheduled Ancient Monument

Oxford Castle

New Rd

New Rd, Oxford

Grade II listed building

Grade II listed

HM Prison Oxford New Road

Administrative range, former chapel and prison wing

H.J. Underwood

J. C. Buckler

Coursed rubble with stone dressings

Slug & Lettuce

Malmaison « less

Sets appears in: • Oxford Castle & Prison • Oxford

Groups appears in: • Castles of Europe • Castles from the world. more » • Old Buildings and Structures • British Castles • CASTLES « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX70 HS, f/4.5, 1/200 sec, 10.2mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SX70 HS
Lens:	3.8-247.0 mm
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	10.2mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 18.0 (Windows)
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