The Origins of Oxford Castle
The history of Oxford Castle begins in the 11th century. Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a series of castles across the kingdom to solidify his control over the newly conquered land. Oxford Castle was one of these strongholds, built around 1071 as part of a strategic effort to defend the city of Oxford and its surrounding area.
Oxford Castle was likely constructed on the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon settlement. The Normans chose this location for its strategic importance, overlooking the River Thames and offering a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. The first structure built was a motte-and-bailey castle, a type of fortification common in the early medieval period. The motte was a large earthen mound, upon which a wooden tower, or keep, was constructed, while the bailey was an enclosed courtyard surrounded by a wooden palisade and a defensive ditch.
In the early years, the castle was primarily a military structure, used to control the surrounding region and keep the local population in check. It was also part of a broader strategy to maintain Norman dominance in England, where many native Anglo-Saxon nobility had been displaced. shutdown123