Oxford Castle

The Oxford Preservation Trust has been praised for its forward-thinking approach to the £5.8 million Oxford Castle regeneration project. The project to restore Grade I-listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments dating back to the 11th Century was managed by TCA, creating a new heritage centre for the city called Oxford Castle Unlocked with a visitors’ centre, shop, education centre and café. This has given the public access to parts of the site for the first time in a millennium.

TCA’s proactive approach to managing heritage projects, identifying areas of potential risk and providing solutions ahead of the problem, was exemplified in its use of an NEC or new engineering contract. These are designed to focus activity on the client’s objectives rather than on technical issues, and to make collaboration easier and more effective.

Transforming St George’s Tower, the Crypt of St George’s Chapel, the Castle Mound, and the former prison’s D Wing and Debtors’ Tower into an attraction was the trust’s most ambitious project to date but has succeeded in linking the city to the site and giving its residents a renewed sense of place and pride in their heritage.