Back قلعة أوكسفورد Arabic Castell d'Oxford Catalan Oxford Castle CEB Oxford Castle Danish Oxford Castle German Castillo de Oxford Spanish Château d'Oxford French Oxfordi vár Hungarian Castello di Oxford Italian オックスフォード城 Japanese
| Oxford Castle | |
|---|---|
| Oxfordshire, England | |
 St George's Tower, Oxford Castle, viewed from the Castle Mill Stream | |
  Oxford Castle | |
| Coordinates | 51°45′06″N 1°15′48″W / 51.7517°N 1.2632°W |
| Grid reference | grid reference SP509063 |
| Type | Shell keep and bailey |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Oxfordshire County Council |
| Condition | Ruined, elements used as a hotel |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Coral rag and gravel |
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.