Review of Oxford Castle and Prison
With Christmas around the corner and the school holidays now officially in full swing, I find myself needing more and more ways to keep the little darlings in check.
At under a week to go to the big day, Elf on the shelf and threats of being thrown off Santa’s naughty list are no longer cutting it. I need something more hardcore.
With that back of mind, I also needed to find a fun, non-screen activity to do with Rory’s Godmother, who was visiting for the day from London. So we headed to Oxford Castle and Prison – one of the oldest castles and prisons in the country, for a Lantern Led Tour.
Hands up, I am prepared to resort to shock tactics and scare mongering for a peaceful festive break. In reality, this is a really fun day out too.
Throw em in the keep…
Oxford Castle dates to 1071 – originally a Motte-and-Bailey built by one of William the Conqueror’s Norman Baron’s Robert d’Oilly, to control ‘Oxen-Ford’ – a Saxon settlement and thriving market town.
The building was later used to imprison wrongdoers or those that went against the rule or religion of the day. Later greatly extended and used to house inmates, its last prisoner was released in 1996.
After being used as a sporadic filming location (Brad Pitt flick, Spy Game, among others), it opened ten years later with a visit from our late Queen Elizabeth, as a new buzzing part of the city. The site now houses a tourist attraction - a tour of the old castle, the upmarket Malmaison Hotel, plus several bars and restaurants.
The Tour
On arrival we swiftly bypassed the tempting gift shop, with bribes to the kiddos of having a longer look, after the tour. Our guide was dressed in a historical prisoner gown and carried a lantern, to add atmosphere to the haunting tales we were about to hear.
We were firstly led in to the oldest part of the castle – St George’s Tower, which held the Capstan - a pointless water mill (to push water up a tower, to only fall back down). It took much toil and effort to push a huge wheel round and round, to keep prisoners docile. An insufferable task, the wooden floor still shows the efforts of hundreds of years – two large round grooves sit as a reminder of their misery.
Locked in the tower
We were led halfway up the thin winding tower, in which a room a Royal Empress Matilda was imprisoned for three months as her castle was sieged in 1142.
Then up to the look out, for marvelous views of Oxford. Rory was impressed by the cross slits, made to allow room for both arrows and crossbows, used to defend the Bailey.
After this we took a tour of the oldest cells of the prison, learning about the curse of one Catholic prisoner who was then sentenced at court. He cursed the court and jury and 600 men subsequently died a painful death.
In one of the cells we learnt of the humiliation experienced by prisoners in the middle ages and Jasmine tried out the pillory.
Rory threw a dead rat (stuffed toy version) at his sister – most amusing, for both of them. Thankfully we learned the last hanging within the prison happened over 70 years ago in 1952.
Hotel or Prison?
In the 18th Century, reforms were leading prisons to becoming more friendly places. To the point that in times of poverty, some peasants were committing petty crimes for a stint inside, where they were fed, watered and safe.
But prisoners still worked. The Treadwheel – a large cylinder with steps (predecessor to the step machine at the gym…) and The Crank Handle kept prisoners subdued and exhausted – hence less trouble. In fact the slang term for prison officers – ‘screw’, has its origin in the adjustable screw which officers could tighten to make the work harder.
Uniforms
We tried on the replica identical uniforms of prisoners, all stamped with arrows pointing upwards to show they were property of the Crown. From the 1860's, all prisoners were also numbered and ‘mug shots’ taken to help authorities from repeat offences.
On leaving, it’s difficult to to avoid the gift shop with more themed historical toys (think dragons and knights) and as it was Christmas many, many festive baubles and sweet treats. Rory chose a shield and Jasmine a pink dragon and we all left, very glad to be free and living in 2023 and not a prisoner in Oxford, hundreds of years ago.
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