Open to All and other General Information Flashcards
What happened to the prison after it closed in 1996?
The running costs of an empty prison were high. Therefore, the council, who had bought back the castle site for the city and the county, hit upon the idea of hiring the castle out for film companies to film productions on. The prison’s historical atmosphere gave it a enormous potential as a location for film-makers. British television dramas, such as Inspector Morse, The Bill, and Bad Girls were all filmed here. Brad Pitt was even in a film produced here at Oxford Castle where the ‘A’ Wing of Oxford Prison was turned into a Chinese Prison for the filming of Spy Game in 2000
How did the idea come about of converting Oxford Prison into a tourist attraction?
The idea of the prison being converted into a tourist attraction was originally brainstormed in the 1940s by the Oxford Preservation Trust, however, there was never enough funds to make such a change. It wasn’t until 2004 when the trust was awarded 3.8 million pounds by the Heritage Lottery Fund to see the project through
What parts of the castle and prison were mostly redeveloped?
The Victorian part of the castle was converted into flats, a luxury hotel (the Malmaison), restaurants and bars. The Oxford Preservation Trust oversaw the transformation of St George’s Tower, the Crypt, the mound, the castle’s D Wing and Debtors’ Tower to make it more accommodating for guests and turn it into The Oxford Castle and Prison Experience
What happened to the Keep on the Castle Mound?
The Keep fell into a state of disrepair in the 16th century and was later demolished
Where was the courtroom tunnel located?
It is located between where the Old County Hall is now to the Malmaison where the prison used to be. It ran from the lodge of the prison to the dock of the Crown Court in Old County Hall with the tunnel providing greater security for in transferring a dangerous prisoner from the Jail to the Courtroom and vice versa
What were the Houses of Correction?
These two matching cell blocks were designed by William Blackburn and built in the 1780s as part of the new and expanded county jail. Originally, they were separated by the house of the Jail Keeper, until it was demolished in the late 19th century
What was the purpose of the Houses of Correction?
They were used for holding petty criminals sentenced to short periods of imprisonment with hard labour for misdemeanours such as drunkenness and prostitution. A high wall separated them from the main parts of the jail, where other types of prisoner, the debtors and more serious felons, were kept
How did the Treadwheels actually benefit prisoners?
There were reports that prisoners sought out this opportunity to escape from their cells and gain some exercise, despite the excruciating work
How was the the County Hall described by a rather prominent figure?
Sir Charles Oman, a renowned British military historian described the County Hall as the most abominable pseudo-Gothic assize in all England (that definitely means you should check it out after the tour)
What is interesting about the round headed doorway of the County Hall?
The small headed window above the doorway was encircled with the inscription County Hall A.D. MDCCCXLI. The vast amount of letters refer to when the County Hall was built, 1841, in Roman Numerals
How many castles were converted into prisons in England?
18
What did the prisoners have to do if needing the toilet during the night whilst their cells were locked?
The prisoners were given buckets that they had to urinate or defecate in. This meant that prisoners had to slop out and clean their own buckets if the next morning
