Arts & Culture
A new name and a new look: Oxford Castle has criminally rebranded

This Bank Holiday weekend, one of Oxford’s most historic sites officially relaunches with a new name and fresh new branding.

The Oxford Castle site was opened as a visitor attraction by Her Majesty the Queen in 2006 and has operated since then under the name Oxford Castle Unlocked. On Monday May 28, the popular attraction will officially raise its flag under the new title Oxford Castle & Prison.

Saffron Bowdler, Marketing Manager at Oxford Castle & Prison explained the change: “We wanted our name to reflect the whole experience of exploring our site. Yes, this is a castle but it also served as a prison for centuries. Some of the cells were used to detain criminals right up until 1996 and many of the site’s most fascinating stories come from the men and women who were incarcerated here. Our site is unique because it combines ancient history with contemporary social history. This subtle change to our name brings the prison part of our tale to the fore.

[caption id=“attachment_38946” align=“alignleft” width=“200”] Oxford Castle Unlocked have rebranded to Oxford Castle & Prison.
16.4.2018
Picture by Ed Nix[/caption]

“Over the last few weeks we have been gradually updating all of the signage across the Castle site and updating our website. It’s been a massive job! The final task is for us to raise the new branded flag at the top of our Saxon tower. It’s a fantastic way to mark this major change for us – and is a symbol that can be seen from far and wide.”

The change of name and branding is the first in a series of planned developments to the historic attraction. The Castle will also see updates to its displays and guided tours over the coming months.

For more information visit www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk.

  • A new name and a new look: Oxford Castle has criminally rebranded
  • A new name and a new look: Oxford Castle has criminally rebranded