Description

In the entries for:-
NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
Crypt
SP 5006 SE 7/442 12.1.54.
I

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
St George's Tower
SP 5006 SE 7/443 12.1.54.
I

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
Well House
SP 5006 SE 7/444 12.1.54.
I

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
Base of round tower
under cell-block on
South side of Prison
SP 5006 SE 7/780
II

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Boundary wall of
Oxford Castle fronting
Paradise Street
SP 5006 SE 7/781
SP 5106 SW 8/781
II

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The entries shal be amended to read:-

HM PRISON OXFORD NEW ROAD
SP 5006 SE
7/10001 St George's Tower, St George's
Chapel Crypt and D Wing inc.
The Debtor's Tower
GV I
St.George's Tower
Tower. c1071 for Robert d'Oilly to guard the north-west angle of
Oxford Castle (qv) bailey and serve as the bell tower to the castle Chapel
of St. George. Now forms n.w. angle of Oxford Prison and part of D
Wing. Coursed rubble. 4 storeys high, evidence of having been
higher originally. Rectangular plan. Slightly receding vertically
with offsets. Walls at ground level 9' thick. Later square headed
mullioned windows. Ramparts with cruciform arrow slits in round-
arched settings. South east stair turret with doorway which would
have given access to former curtain wall. Interior has wide arch with
imposts, formerly to nave. Ground floor appears to have been in use
as a tread mill having wide floor boards worn with two concentric
rings. Timber newel stair gives access to floors, most with old
timber beams. St. George's Tower is a rare piece of stone military
architecture surviving from the conquest period and was probably the
earliest stone building in the Castle.
St. George's Chapel Crypt
Crypt, now beneath D Wing of Oxford Prison. c1074, probably rebuilt
in 1794 and possibly again in 1848. Stone. 3 1/2 bays long by 3
wide. Renewed groin vaults spring from original columns with crudely
carved chevron design Romanesque cushion capitals. Cobbled floor.
The church itself projected eastwards from the base of St. George's
Tower and probably had an apsidal end. St. George's began as a
collegiate church for secular canons, founded and endowed jointly by
Robert d'Oilly and Roger d'Ivry. Amongst the canons were notably
learned men including Walter Map, Robert of Chesney and historian
Geoffrey of Monthmouth whose presence may have contributed towards the
establishment of the University in the town.
D Wing including Debtor's Tower. Prison block and tower. 1785 onwards
by William Blackburn. Coursed rubble with stone dressings. Wing - 2
storeys 11 windows. Round-arched ground floor openings linked by
impost bands, mostly blind with grilled lunettes. Moulded stone 1st
floor band to s.e. facade. Stone architraved, flat arch 1st floor
windows linked by plain stone bands at half height. Coped parapet.
Tower - 4 storeys. Ground and 1st floor architraved, flat arch
windows linked by plain stone bands at half height. 2nd and 3rd floor
windows half height with continuous 2nd floor sill band. Crenellated
parapet. Interior has cantilevered stone stair with plain iron rail
and supports leading to former cells. Mostly original beams, floor
boards and doors. 2nd and 3rd floors appear to have been originally
divided radially into wedge-shaped cells. Two hearths remain with
remains of chimneypieces, one retaining enriched cast iron hobs.

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
Crypt
SP 5006 SE 7/442 12.1.54.
I
2.
(1) the Crypt under what was probably the chancel of the chapel was reconstructed
in 1794 and probably also moved in 1848. RCHM p 158 b.

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
St George's Tower
SP 5006 SE 7/443 12.1.54.
I
2.
(2) The massive St George's tower of coursed rubble probably served as the
campanile of the chapel. RCHM p 158 a. Fine arch on the East side.

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
Well House
SP 5006 SE 7/444 12.1.54.
I
2.
(3) The Well House, sunk in the top of the motte, has an early C13 stone
vault with chamfered ribs; it is 4 ft in diameter. Above the entrance to
it are three C16 reset stone shields of arms somewhat weathered. RCHM p
158 a. The site of the castle suffered in C17 and was mostly cleared when
the prison was built in 1805. For history see C W C Oman, Castles (1926),
41-44.

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Oxford Castle
Base of round tower
under cell-block on
South side of Prison
SP 5006 SR 7/780
II
2.
Probably originally C13. Apparently the stone batter at the base of a round
tower. Much repaired and renewed. See Loggan's plan of 1675.

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NEW ROAD
1.
1485
(South Side)
Boundary wall of
Oxford Castle fronting
Paradise Street
SP 5006 SE 7/781
SP 5106 SW 8/781
II
2.
Mid Cl9, heightened later. Low plinth, articulated above by piers and panels.
Cement rendered coping.

Listing NGR: SP5096506197

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q96122948

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)