Oxford Castle, Christmas Market, and C.S. Lewis

Since the weather is getting colder and rain was in the forecast, we stayed close to home this weekend. On Saturday, we rode the red double-decker bus (the green buses are operated by the same company, run the same routes, but have different policies re: our bus pass card) to Oxford city centre. Our mission was to explore Oxford Castle and visit the Christmas market.

We like to sit in the top front but the best seats were taken so Matthew sat in the very back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Castle

Oxford Castle was started around 1071 by the Norman's (William the Conqueror was from Normandy, France) to guard the west side of the city of Oxford. Our tour guide was dressed like Daniel Harris, the 18th century governor of the prison. We climbed the oldest part of the castle, the Norman tower that was a civil war prison, and visited the crypt underneath the oldest prison wing (the prison was built over an ancient church). The prison has a history of disease and cruelty. The newest section is 19th century (Victorian) and was use as the local prison until 1996. The majority of the buildings are now a luxury hotel (but the main entrance is the place of past hanging executions - yuck.)

The tour guides are all in character.

http://www.oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk/
http://www.oxfordcastle.com/oxford_castle_malmaison.html

Looking though an archer's firing position on the top of the tower.

View of the city of Oxford from the top of the tower.

After the tour, we visited the German Christmas market on the castle grounds. We saw a jazz band, some actors performing among the crowd, many stalls of homemade products, and ate an authentic German bratwurst (with grilled onions; no sauerkraut). We even saw Father Christmas (Santa) walking briskly to his stall. I bought Lori a hand-made Cossack-style hat to keep her fashionable and warm during the damp, cold U.K. winters.

Matthew with a display of all of the restraints used when the castle was a prison.

Matthew in a 18th century cell. 15 prisoners lived here at any one time.

http://www.oxfordcastle.com/christmas_at_oxford_castle.html

Our heroes on the castle mound.

Matthew and the Christmas market (Lori is shopping in the background)

We ended the day with a delicious Italian meal at Prezzo, also at the castle.

http://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/

On Sunday, we attended church at Oxford Bible Church, as usual. Pastor Derek taught a brilliant sermon on Psalm 8 and several people were healed at the end of the service. What a great way to start the day - praising God! We then went on a C.S. Lewis outing. His grave is only 2 miles from church and his house, The Kilns, is less than a mile from there. The old church was surrounded by many graves and signs pointed us toward his grave. Mr. Lewis promised to take care of his best friend Paddy Moore's mother and he kept his word. (story here - http://www.cslewis.org/resources/chronocsl.html) We found her grave also.

We found the grave of C.S. Lewis.

The Kilns - home of C.S. Lewis.

After a traditional English roast at the neighborhood pub, we drove across the busy ring road (which wasn't there when Lewis was alive) to see his house, The Kilns. It is still used as a place for scholarly research so we could only see it from the road. Wow, our new home town is chock full of historical sites!