St Georges Tower, St Georges Chapel Crypt And D Wing Including The Debtors Tower

HM PRISON OXFORD, NEW ROAD

St George's Tower, St George's Chapel Crypt and D Wing including the Debtors Tower

ST GEORGE'S TOWER

Built circa 1071 for Robert d'Oilly to guard the north-west angle of Oxford Castle bailey and serve as the bell tower to the Castle Chapel of St George. Now forms the north-west angle of Oxford Prison and part of D Wing.

The tower is constructed of coursed rubble and stands 4 storeys high, with evidence of having been higher originally. It has a rectangular plan and slightly recedes vertically with offsets. The walls at ground level are 9 feet thick. The tower features later square-headed mullioned windows and ramparts with cruciform arrow slits set in round-arched openings. A south-east stair turret contains a doorway which would have given access to the former curtain wall.

The interior contains a wide arch with imposts, formerly opening to the nave. The ground floor appears to have been in use as a treadmill, evidenced by wide floorboards worn with two concentric rings. A timber newel stair gives access to the floors, most of which retain old timber beams. St George's Tower is a rare surviving piece of stone military architecture from the conquest period and was probably the earliest stone building in the castle. A fine arch survives on the east side.

ST GEORGE'S CHAPEL CRYPT

The crypt now lies beneath D Wing of Oxford Prison. Dated circa 1074, it was probably rebuilt in 1794 and possibly again in 1848. Constructed of stone, the crypt measures 3½ bays long by 3 bays wide. Renewed groin vaults spring from original columns with crudely carved chevron design and Romanesque cushion capitals. The floor is cobbled.

The church itself projected eastwards from the base of St George's Tower and probably had an apsidal end. St George's began as a collegiate church for secular canons, founded and endowed jointly by Robert d'Oilly and Roger d'Ivry. Among the canons were notably learned men including Walter Map, Robert of Chesney and the historian Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose presence may have contributed towards the establishment of the University in the town.

D WING INCLUDING THE DEBTORS TOWER

This prison block and tower were built from 1785 onwards by William Blackburn. They are constructed of coursed rubble with stone dressings.

The wing comprises 2 storeys with 11 windows. The ground floor has round-arched openings linked by impost bands, mostly blind with grilled lunettes. A moulded stone band runs along the 1st floor of the south-east façade. The 1st floor windows are stone architraved with flat arches and linked by plain stone bands at half height. The structure is finished with a coped parapet.

The tower rises 4 storeys. The ground and 1st floors have architraved flat-arch windows linked by plain stone bands at half height. The 2nd and 3rd floor windows are half height with a continuous 2nd floor sill band. A crenellated parapet tops the tower.

The interior features a cantilevered stone stair with plain iron rail and supports leading to former cells. Most of the original beams, floorboards and doors survive. The 2nd and 3rd floors appear originally to have been divided radially into wedge-shaped cells. Two hearths remain with remains of chimneypieces, one retaining enriched cast iron hobs.

RELATED STRUCTURES

A well house, sunk in the top of the motte, contains an early 13th-century stone vault with chamfered ribs and is 4 feet in diameter. Above its entrance are three 16th-century reset stone shields of arms, somewhat weathered.

The base of a round tower, probably originally 13th-century, survives under the cell-block on the south side of the prison. It comprises the stone batter at the base of a round tower, much repaired and renewed, and appears on Loggan's plan of 1675.

A boundary wall of Oxford Castle fronting Paradise Street dates to the mid-19th century and was heightened later. It has a low plinth articulated above by piers and panels, with a cement rendered coping.

The castle site suffered damage in the 17th century and was mostly cleared when the prison was built in 1805.