Oxford Castle first appears in the OPT's Annual Report of 1942: "Great expectations have been aroused recently by the prospect of Oxford Castle and Prison being vacated….and the possibilities for the site…as a space..for a public park, perhaps a County and City museum".
This is the largest buildings scheme OPT has ever been involved in and we are proud to have helped make it happen as one of the three key partners and the considerable support of the Heritage Lottery Fund who provided a grant to OPT of over £4million. We continue to own, on long lease, the historic heart of the site and St. George’s Tower, the remains of the Norman castle and other historic buildings and look after Oxford Castle & Prison visitor attraction with our partners Continuum who run this for us.
Conservation, heritage and education objectives were key to the success of the development and were agreed at the outset by the County Council and Oxford Preservation Trust, with the developer, as a critical part of the development.
As the freehold of the site is owned by Oxfordshire County Council, it was important that the development could contribute to the Council's strategic priorities, creating new jobs, leisure services and new homes. The hotel, restaurants, apartments and pedestrian through routes have ensured that the site is integrated into the city, creating a commercially viable place which is lived in and well used by residents and visitors.
The County Council's ambition was to see the site re-used and regenerated. It set out clear project objectives, in spite of property consultants advice that "there could be no alternative uses for Oxford Castle with any positive value…. the site is a liability…."
The objectives were:
- to restore and conserve the historic buildings
- to maximise public access to and through the site and to as many of the buildings as possible
- for the whole site to be developed, managed and recognised as a single entity
- to encompass sustainable commercial use as well as a full interpretation of the site's history and heritage and good provision for education
- to be delivered at minimum risk and cost to council taxpayers
An opportunity for archaeological investigations
The development works gave the opportunity for the discovery of some of the most extensive and important archaeological investigations in Oxford for several decades. Time and funding were provided to allow full archaeological excavations, which have added considerably to the knowledge of the history of the city. Part of the Saxon town wall was discovered and has been retained as one of the features of the development. The investigations added to the body of knowledge of the history of the site and the city.
Architecture which champions the old with the new
Architectural practice, Panter Hudspith, designed the shop and entrance to the visitor centre – a glass structure adjacent to St George's Tower, suspended from the 19th century prison wall, with a café and education centre pushing through the Prison wall and adjacent to the Castle Mound. This was achieved with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, enable the highest standard of new building and workmanship so that the 'heritage site' sits alongside the commercial development as its equal partner. A viewing platform on the top of St. Georges Tower and a tunnel beneath the ground give the public access from the Tower to the Crypt
Sustainability and conservation
Sustainability and good conservation techniques were employed throughout the construction:
- Use of lime mortar and mortar based plaster.
- Use of Bath stone (the fabric of the existing structures) to carry out repairs to buildings and to build new structures
- Re-use of existing materials in the works, for example, where stone was taken out of one building it was re-used in another location
- Re-use of granite blocks in the Castle site main entrance which were salvaged from elsewhere in the city centre
Oxford is known for its innovative approach to transport and cars and a sustainable approach to transport was adopted. There is limited car parking on site (a single 20-space underground car park exists for use by the hotel), over 150 cycle parking spaces were provided, together with excellent public transport links, so that both Park & Ride and bus services are available at the entrance to the site.
The Development Timeline
- 1996 - Oxford Prison closes for the last time
- 1997 - Oxfordshire County Council buys back the site from the Home Office
- 1997 to 2001 - Oxfordshire County Council funds the upkeep of the empty prison by renting it out to film and television companies. Many feature films and television series have been filmed on the site including 101 Dalmatians and Bad Girls
- 1997 to present day - Archaeological investigation, reveals much about the city's history
- 1998 to 2000 - Partnerships between the County Council, Oxford Castle Ltd and OPT put in place. Plans put out for public consultation
- 1999 – The County Council and OPT jointly commission a Conservation Plan.
- 2001 - Planning permission and grant-funding from SEEDA, Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England and Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment are secured; demolition and restoration starts
- 2004 - the site receives a blessing from the Right Reverend Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford, to commemorate the site's history and celebrate the progress and future of this prestigious scheme
- September 2005 - Last intensive phase of construction commences
- November 2005 - First businesses open, including restaurants and the Malmaison Hotel
- OPT appoints Continuum as operators of the heritage attraction, and a partnership with the County Council to provide an education officer is agreed.
- May 2006 - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II performs the official opening ceremony for the Oxford Castle Heritage Site
- May 2006 – "Unlocked" the heritage visitor attraction opens its doors to customers
- September 2006 – the Oxford Castle Education Centre opens
- February 2016 - Oxford Castle Ltd sells its interest to the Westgate Alliance