New Entry: 29 and 29A Castle Street, Oxford OX1 1LJ

"Hiding in plain sight" is the phrase that springs to mind when your attention is drawn to this diminutive and modest looking building, standing on a busy shopping street near the site of Oxford Castle.  It is clearly a historic building but the date of its true origins appears to have been overlooked by the public record. 

29 and 29a Castle Street is listed grade II (LEN: 1369468) and its diminutive stature is matched by the short and somewhat cryptic listing entry first written in 1977.  The listing entry puts the earliest date of the building at late 17th century and notes various historic features that could just about be glimpsed inside presumably by peering through the windows.

And yet the year before the date of the listing, an unpublished set of notes and drawings, now lodged in the archive of the Oxfordshire History Centre, indicated that there is evidence of medieval roofing in the cellar, that two timber framed walls survive from the original superstructure and that there was a medieval roof running parallel to Castle Street, with king-struts, collars and clasped purlins.  The notes also record that the structure is shown on Agas's map of 1578 between the Westgate and the castle bridge.  

So this unassuming and neglected building is actually a highly significant structure in terms of Oxford's archaeology and represents an early stage of domestic encroachment on the castle outworks.  

Most recently the building served as a restaurant but that has been closed for some years and the condition of the building is causing considerable concern. 

Added to that, it is being squeezed on all sides by large modern developments and, most recently, was threatened by the siting of a large digital interactive advertising hub on the pavement in front of it. The owners are based abroad and we understand that the efforts of the Council to take action have been thwarted by the impossibility of contacting them.  We wrote to object to the proposal regarding the advertising hub, which has now been refused.

We believe that the listing entry should be updated officially to reflect the important evidence of its earlier history. 

A way to get this building back into the care of those who understand its importance and can take the necessary remedial action is urgently needed.  We understand the Council are working on this but it is not clear what action is proposed.