Robert D'Oyly the elder built the castle from 1071 to 1073, commissioned by William I to dominate the town. It began as a probably timber motte and bailey. St George's Tower, built of coral rag stone, is now generally believed to be Saxon, from around 1020. A stone curtain wall and a ten-sided shell keep replaced the timber in the 12th and 13th centuries. Ingoldsby demolished most of the medieval stonework in 1649. The well is 54 feet (16 m) deep, and the motte was originally about 60 feet (18 m) high.
William Blackburn designed a new prison from 1785, and the governor Daniel Harris completed it in 1805. The prison closed in 1996.
Oxfordshire County Council owns it. It is now a hotel and a heritage attraction with guided tours, and the motte, tower and crypt are Grade I listed.
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