Beyond the Norman Conquest: Oxford’s Saxon Origins
We recently had the pleasure of visiting Oxford Castle, a historic landmark that offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s rich past. The castle’s transformation from a formidable fortress to a former prison provides a unique and thought-provoking experience for visitors.
Oxford Castle in the 16th century. Engraving after detail on the earliest map of Oxford by Ralph Agas, 1578 published in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 12, No. 328, August 23, 1828
Beyond its imposing exterior, Oxford Castle holds a wealth of historical significance. Recent excavations have revealed evidence suggesting a pre-Norman origin, challenging the traditional view that the area was solely associated with Norman construction.
Archaeological findings from the early 2000s uncovered a defensive rampart encircling the western quarter, the possibility of St. George’s Tower dating back to the pre-Norman era, and a network of metalled streets extending to the west gate. These discoveries shed new light on Oxford’s Anglo-Saxon origins.
St George’s crypt or baptirstry chapel, rebuilt in 1794 re-using Saxon materials.
This work helps unlock a deper undersanding of the development of Oxfor in the mid-Anglo-Saxon period, which makes sense of a city centered around a mid-Anglo-Saxon minster located on the site now occupied by Christ Church and Oxford Cathedral which would have served as a focal point for settlement, trade, and the city’s growth and identity as a seat of learning before th eNormans arrived.
The historical association of St. Frideswide (c. 650 – 19 October 727), a princess and abbess, with the site further supports the importance of religious institutions in Oxford’s early development. Frideswide is credited as the foundress of a monastery that was later incorporated into Christ Church.It is a possibly worthwhile asside to note that the shrine dedicated to St. Frideswide being repeatedly vandalized during the Reformation, it was reinstated by Queen Mary in 1558. However, it was later desecrated by James Calfhill, a Calvinist canon of the church. As a result, Frideswide’s remains were inadvertently mixed with those of Catherine Dammartin and remain intermixed to this day. Her relics were apparently hidden in a well within Christ Church Cathedral.
The excavations at Oxford Castle have provided valuable insights into the city’s complex history, revealing a deeper understanding of its Anglo-Saxon origins and the significant role played by religious institutions in its development.
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Until the mid-16th century, Oxford Castle served as a county jail and hosted regular Assizes (civil and criminal courts). However, a devastating outbreak of the plague occurred during one session in 1577, resulting in the infamous “Black Assize.” This tragedy claimed the lives of the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, two knights, eighty gentlemen, and the entire grand jury for the session, including Sir Robert D’Oilly, a relative of the Norman who was at the castle after 1066. Following this event, Assizes were no longer held at Oxford Castle.
During the English Civil War, Oxford Castle was used by the Royalists as a prison. Conditions within the castle were deplorable, with extreme overcrowding and widespread starvation. The combination of overcrowding and unsanitary conditions led to the proliferation of illnesses. When Parliamentarian forces liberated the castle, they were horrified and furious at the inhumane treatment of the prisoners.
The historical events surrounding Oxford Castle during the 16th and 17th centuries contributed to broader discussions and reforms regarding prison conditions and public health in subsequent eras.
Further reading
Poore, Daniel, Andrew Norton, and Anne Dodd. Excavations at Oxford Castle: Oxford’s Western Quarter from the Mid-Saxon Period to the Late Eighteenth Century (Based on Daniel Poore’s Tom Hassall Lecture for 2008).
See also work by James Wenn, of BYRGA GENIHT.
