The last thing to show you from my mini visit to Oxford. Me visiting Oxford Castle.

That was the big pull for me when I spontaneously went on my little adventure. Visiting Oxford castle – or in fact just seeing any castle. To those who may or may not know, I do love my castle as this year alone, I’ve been to both Hasting castle and Lewes castle. So it was inevitable I would have to get a third castle before the end of the year.

I’m not sure why I love castle so much. I suppose it can be fascinating to see the old building and to imagine that people actually lived in these grand old home. For me, who is a self-proclaimed history nerd, love reading about the history and how it holds so many stories? Those if I’m honest, the only story I’m usually interested in – is the haunting/ghost one.

So yeah anyway, as well as wanting to see the university and to explore a new area. I also wanted to visit Oxford castle. From reading all the reviews on TripAdvisor and from looking on Google images, I was expecting a castle. It did looks like a castle from its picture. But It wasn’t really.

If I’m honest, they should rename it Oxford tower as it just a tower and not much of a castle.

It kind of did have a castle courtyard and has old buildings surrounding it, but most of these were converted into newer modern offices and shops. There’s a Pizza Express for example in the middle of the courtyard. But I also found it wasn’t near the actual main tower.

Visiting Oxford castle mainly consists of visiting that one tower. Well climbing up 110 steps to get to the top and coming down again.  Also on the tour, you also do see the old prisons and see an old cellar.

I declined climbing up the Oxford castle tower as I had my backpack with me, I’m also usually not stable on my feet on a spiral staircase. Which I might admit I was annoyed at. As I paid entry fees and I ended up missing a big chunk of the actual tour.

However, the tour guide offers to shoot some pictures for me using my camera. Which I thought was very kind. So the following pictures of the tower from the spiral staircase and at the top of the tower were taken by the tour guide.

There was a brief tour of the cellar and old prisons. Which I came alone. Now apparently the area is haunted. Yeah, that kind of sucked me in. What can I say? I do love a good ghost story. But I found myself eye-rolling when the guide said they had Most Haunted in. Urgh, don’t get me started on that mickey mouse of ghost show.

Visiting Oxford castle took about an hour. For me, while I was there and because I declined climbing up the tower it was 20-30 minutes’ tour.

My advice is, don’t visit Oxford castle especially like I did. If you happen to be in the area or have an hour to kill – then do visit and take the tour. But don’t go out of your way to see it as you might find it a little disappointing. There are tons more to see in Oxford.