Oxford Castle opens for first time in 1,000 years

[tag]Oxford Castle[/tag] opened its doors for the first time in 1,000 years today, so I thought I’d go along and check it out.

The castle doesn’t have the same kind of historical importance as other castles, but it is intriguing for several reasons. One, it is smack-bang in the middle of town. Two, until 1996, it was still used as a prison – incredible but true. Within throwing distance of the main shops, were a load of prisoners living within 1,000-year-old walls. Three, there are some great tales. And four, the whole castle has been extensively revamped.

The old prison had been turned into a [tag]Malmaison[/tag] hotel that uses the jail features as its selling point. I’ve yet to have a wander around but I have to say their ads in the paper are a bit weird – not sure who they’re aiming at. The main courtyard of the prison is now an open space surrounded by restaurants. In fact, nothing but restaurants, but I’ll leave that rant for another day.

Very quick restaurant guide:

* Carluccio’s: Another in the chain. Pretty good Italian. Nice tiramisu. Not as good as the ones in London.
* La Tasca: Good tapas. Tasty and good value. Recommended.
* Tootsies: Great milkshakes. Nice burgers. Varies in quality with other meals but friendly staff, if noisy customers. A bit over-priced.
* Bar Ha! Ha!: Just another chain. Minimum-wage staff. Food sounds fancy, costs enough to be fancy, but is cooked in a microwave. All style, little substance.
* Krispie Kreme: I think that’s the name. Haven’t been there. Sell doughnuts.
* Pizza Express: As per usual. Above average pizza and pasta restaurant.
* The Living Room: Was great when it opened, has since become a disaster I hear. Dressed-up slappers love it.
* Malmaison restaurant: Expensive and haven’t tried it yet, but here’s hoping…

Anyway, a wing of the castle/prison (D-Wing), the Debtors’ Tower, the St George’s Tower – the only remaining defensive tower of an original five – and the crypt underneath both, have been preserved and set up as an educational/historical attraction. They’ve called it “[tag]Unlocked[/tag]: [tag]Oxford[/tag] Castle”. Their website is at http://www.oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk/.

It was the first day, and so there were a few tething problems. The Eastern European staff in the main room weren’t too sure how the system worked, but it appeared that you had to go round with a guide, and book it, and that was £6.95 for an adult (£5.25 for child under 15; £5.95 for OAPs and students). Then you waited outside for the guide to appear, who was 10 minutes late.

The guide was dressed up in prison officer garb from 1945 and bless her, she was nervous to the point of terror. It turned out that this was her first group, and she was having a really hard time remembering all the information. She knew almost nothing beyond what she had been told and she was a dreadful storyteller, but she held it together and no one on the trip gave her a hard time. She’ll be having a triple-vodka tonight.

There was also nothing stopping you from wandering into the castle yourself, so I don’t know whether this was a mistake or if they insisted just for that day that you had to go with a guide or what, I don’t know, it was a bit disorganised, which I suppose is only to be expected. I would have enjoyed it more being allowed to wander around by myself because – and this is the good bit – the information panels were beautifully done and very interesting.

There’s some good tales. The murderer heiress, Mary Blandy, who may or may not have been deceived by her bigamous husband to kill her father and who lived a luxurious life but was unfortunately held in place all the time by her ankles. The appalling conditions of 60 men in a tiny room with no toilet, who had no choice but to sleep on top of one another, literally ankle deep in their own excrement.

The fights and spats, and hangings. The fights under the gallows between relatives and doctors – who were only allowed to use the cadavers of convicted criminals to perform anatomy experiments on. Anne Green, who survived her own hanging, was pardoned and went on to have three kids; and the other woman that also survived but was subsequently dispatched while recovering.

And then some information on the prison reforms, the Victorian work-ethic, and then some info on the modern prison with some audio recollections by people that had worked or were housed there. What I didn’t know what the Oxford Castle had been used in both Spy Game (Brad Pitt) and 102 Dalmations (Glenn Close) in 2000 for an old castle set. Plus, of course Morse, and various other TV shows.

And then, lastly, the St George’s Tower – which I’ve been itching to get to the top of for years because it’s close to my house and I often walk past it. Why did the Saxons make tower stairs so small and narrow? Anyway, there are two stop-off points and then you are at the top and have a pretty good view of Oxford, although it still didn’t offer the shot I was hoping for – an all-compassing panaroma of the Oxford spires. (I’ve been trying to find the best spot for that picture for nearly a year).

And then back down and off.

I should also say that the Mound is finally open to be walked on. I’ve been meaning to break the rules and climb over the fence and get on top of the Mound for ages. And it’s quite nice on top. I might have a picnic up there some day soon.

So, all in all, is it worth visiting? Yes, I would say so. It’s a bit pricey, and I’d rather not have a guide, but it is interesting. If you want to know alot more about the castle, there is an in-depth book called “Stories of Oxford Castle: From Dungeon to Dunghill” available for £6.99 in the shop.

It is written by Mark Davies, who, it turns out, lives on possibly my favourite thing – the stretch of canal that sits virtually in the middle of town. I considered buying a boat on it, and I’ve been meaning to do a feature on the people that live there for a while, so maybe Mark Davies is the perfect excuse.

So there you have it – Oxford’s newest attraction. It seemed to be pretty popular and I’m sure once the guides have been doing it for a few weeks, it will be excellent. If you get a good guide who can tell gory stories right, the kids will go mental for it.

Otherwise, go once. It is after all a damn sight better than the Oxford Museum or the appalling Oxford Story on Broad Street.