Excavations at Oxford Castle 1999–2009 - Andrew Norton, Julian Munby

Oxford Castle was built in 1071 at the west end of the thriving late Saxon town; although it was never a castle of the first rank as a royal or seigneurial stronghold, it was an active county castle throughout the medieval period. Largely abandoned by the late 16th century, it continued to serve as the county gaol; new gaol buildings reflecting the contemporary ideas on prison reform were constructed in the 18th century, and again in the 19th century when Oxford Prison adopted the 'separate system'. The closure of the prison in 1996, and the subsequent redevelopment of the site, provided the opportunity for archaeological investigation between 1999 and 2009. Small-scale excavations in Paradise Street from 2002-2006 provided additional information about the castle's bailey ditch and the development of the occupation on its southern edge. The investigations revealed the rampart of the late Saxon town and its facing wall running along the south side of the castle, surviving where it had been incorporated into the Norman bailey defences. The discovery of the late Saxon burials and parts of two late Saxon timber buildings nearby suggests that there may have been a high-status residence here in the late Saxon period, and that st George's Tower may have been part of an associated church at the West Gate of the town. A number of late Saxon cellar pits were found towards the north of the castle site. A range of evidence adds to our knowledge of the form of the Norman motte and tower t
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