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Oxford Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress established in the late eleventh century following the conquest of England in 1066. The castle's defensive earthwork, comprising a substantial mound with surrounding ditch, remains a prominent feature within Oxford's medieval townscape. The site has yielded evidence of earlier Anglo-Saxon occupation, indicating settlement continuity at this strategically important location before the Norman fortification was constructed. The castle's stone keep, built during the twelfth century, survives as a cylindrical structure representing a significant phase of architectural development in English castle design.
Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1007730. View the official record →
Oxford Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress established in the late eleventh century following the conquest of England in 1066. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1007730.
Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1007730.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Abingdon Road Culverts (2.5 km), Romano-British pottery site, prehistoric ring-ditches and enclosures, including medieval ridge and furrow, Lower Farm, Nuneham Courtenay (6.4 km), Settlement site E of Goose Acre Farm (7.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Oxford Castle and earlier settlement remains stands on Kellaways Formation And Oxford Clay Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Oxfordian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.