The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 328, August 23, 1828

Step into the stone‑filled past of Oxford as a learned guide unrolls an ancient plan of the city’s first castle. The narrator paints a picture of a time when a king’s home truly was a fortress, describing towering keeps, embattled walls, and a bridge‑guarded gate that could rain scorching water or stones on invaders. Listeners will hear vivid anecdotes about Alfred, Harold Harefoot, and the Norman baron Robert D’Oiley, whose 1071 renovations left an indelible mark on the landscape.

The discussion weaves together the observations of antiquarians like Leland, Dugdale, Camden, and the meticulous notes of Anthony Wood, revealing how centuries of archaeology uncovered horse bones, dog remains, and even human skeletons beneath old wells. By juxtaposing medieval chronicles with a 16th‑century sketch by Ralph Agas, the piece brings the architecture of Norman military design to life, inviting you to imagine the clang of battle and the quiet of abandoned towers long before they fell in 1649.