The Shivers Of Oxford Castle
How to get lost in a hounded castle.
Can you feel it? Is it a shiver or is it a presence? If you stop breathing for a while, you arch your hearing maybe you will feel a strange presence. A clap of hands, children running, cold waves, a 900 year old crypt, tales of suffering and torture can make you really think that ghosts are near you sniffing you, circling you and making fun of you.
Or maybe everything has a good explication: the child running was a girl from our tour who got frightened, our guide clapped to get our attention, cold waves ….well, we were in a crypt, the lights were lowered by the castle’s staff. These were some logical happenings but let’s not forget that Oxford Castle is considered the most haunted building in Oxford with a very dark history of human degradation and cruelty.
Oxford Castle was built in 1071 by Robert Doily and was in its existence a prison up until as recently as 1996. During the 18th century, the list of offences punishable by death rose from around 50 to more than 200. There were numerous public executions for crimes including sheep stealing, arson and spying. Of course, the detention conditions were different according to the social group you belonged to. For example, ordinary thieves and ladies of pleasures were locked in the tower rooms which were overcrowded with prisoners. It was the place where they had to sleep, to do all the necessities on the floor (and nobody would clean the place, so they had to stand night and day in some centimetres of their own filth a) and where there would be just a window without windowpane (lovely in the winter). And a prison wouldn't be a prison without cruel tortures and macabre hangings.
So, the Oxford Castle is the last place you should get lost, but be careful with the things you are afraid of…because they might happen. Like any ordinary tourist I bought the ticket, booked the tour, made expectations of what will happen and told myself that, after all, this is just an old building (foolish thought).
The tour began calmly but kind of strange with our tour guide dressed up as an executioner but having a lovely accent and British humour. We started to walk from the oldest part of the Castle, climbing the stairs to the infamous detention rooms located in the tower. St George’s Tower was built of coral rag stone in 1074, 30 by 30 feet at the base and tapering significantly toward the top for stability. This was the tallest of the castle’s towers, possibly because it covered the approach to the old west gate of the city. Early in the 13th century the wooden keep on top of the motte was replaced with a ten-sided stone shell keep, 58 feet. To get to the top of the tower you have to climb some really narrow and spooky stone stairs fairly lightened and it doesn't help if you are too tall (fortunately not my case). On the top, I had the chance to get a good view of Oxford city and a blast of wind in the face.
When I thought that I had my share of macabre stories and spooky prison chambers, we went to the deserted prison wing, where we were pushed in some tiny cubicles which represented prison cells from the past. All of the sudden, the guide put a human head in my hands and an axe and in just seconds I was looking like an ordinary criminal. But, fortunately not a very scary one as the human head was a plastic imitation of a real one. This was the point when I started to lose a little bit the sense of reason.
After visiting these prison cells we went down into the crypt….. the creepiest place in the castle. The crypt was used to store prisoners’ dead bodies so it gave you a glimpse of what macabre the castle was. If you are looking for a place with the name Haunted on it, this is the one. Some people say that they can feel the presence of the ghost of a little girl who was a prisoner in the castle, the little girl pinches you and giggles around you.
When I thought everything had finished, the guide let us free for self-guide. Well, big mistake because that was the moment I successfully lost myself into the cell wing, being separated from my friends and the rest of the group. Of course, not very happy thoughts or fairy tales came into my head. Instead there were the dark and the very bloody stories of the Castle. I thought “lucky me” as I was the one who didn't believe in ghosts stories. But when I ended up back into the cold crypt hearing all kind of noises and seeing all kinds of shadows I suddenly started to have a change of mind. My heart told me to run run run like a professional athlete. I found myself reaching the end of the tour where a very nice lady gave me my mugshot with my friend, the human head, and with the very friendly axe. So, I said that was enough for me, I needed a coffee or even better a strong drink. Luckily in the castle yard there is a coffee shop which helps you get your heart rate back to normal.
Did I mention that the prison also had gallows where they would execute prisoners, such as Mary Blandy in 1752. For most of the 18th century, the castle prison was run by the local Etty and Wisdom families and was in increasing disrepair. A part of the castle has been transformed in a 4 stars hotel keeping the old cells but refurbished in order for them to offer the 4 star comfort and luxury.
For the ones who seek more excitement and ghost chasing, and that is definitely not me, they can book a room in the Castle hotel named Malmaison Oxford or book a Ghost Hunt.
Irina is a passionate traveller who likes to travel, to meet new people and to write about new experiences and cultures. She considers herself a road opener.
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