Conisbrough Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Conisbrough Castle |
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| Castle Hill, Conisbrough, Doncaster, England | |
The castle seen from the south-east
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 Conisbrough Castle
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| Coordinates | 53°29′03″N 1°13′35″W / 53.48417°N 1.22639°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Height | 62 feet (19 m) |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and English Heritage |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | 11th century |
| Materials | Magnesian Limestone |
Conisbrough Castle is an old medieval castle in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England. It was first built in the 11th century by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey. This happened after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
Later, in the late 12th century, Hamelin Plantagenet became the owner. He was the half-brother of King Henry II and got the castle by marriage. Hamelin and his son William rebuilt the castle using stone. They added a tall, strong keep (main tower) that was 28 meters (92 feet) high. The castle stayed with their family until the 14th century. Even though the king took it over a few times, it always returned to the family. In 1461, it went back to the royal family.
Conisbrough Castle eventually became a ruin. Its outer wall was badly damaged by the ground sinking. In the 16th century, the Carey family received the castle. Because it was already ruined, it was not used in the English Civil War in the 17th century. In 1737, the Duke of Leeds bought the remains.
The famous writer Sir Walter Scott used the castle as a setting for his 1819 novel Ivanhoe. By the late 1800s, the ruins had become a popular place for tourists to visit. In 1950, the government started managing the castle. However, by the 1980s, the visitor areas needed improvement. So, a team was formed with the local council, English Heritage (a government agency), and a local charity. They worked together to improve the castle.
In the 1990s, the castle's main tower (keep) got a new roof and floors. This was done with money from the European Union. In 2008, English Heritage took full control of the castle. They still run it today as a tourist attraction.
The castle has an inner and an outer bailey (courtyard). The inner bailey is surrounded by a stone wall with six towers and the main keep. Inside the inner bailey, there would have been a large hall, a private room (solar), a chapel, and other buildings. Only their foundations remain today. The design of Conisbrough's keep is special in England. Experts call it an "architectural gem" and a great example of Norman castle building. The keep is a round tower with six huge supports (buttresses). It had four floors, including a main room and a private room for the lord. Even though it wasn't the strongest in battle, its design showed how important Hamelin Plantagenet had become.
Contents
History of Conisbrough Castle
Early Days: 11th – 12th Centuries
Conisbrough Castle was started by William de Warenne. He was the first Earl of Surrey. William helped in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. As a reward, William the Conqueror gave him many lands in Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Sussex.
One of these lands was the manor of Conisbrough. It used to belong to Harold Godwinson, an English king. The name Conisbrough comes from an old English word meaning "the king's fortress." It was a large area with 28 villages, centered around a fortified town at Conisbrough.
William built his castle on a rocky hill made of limestone. This hill had steep sides. The castle included a motte (a mound), an inner courtyard with an earth bank and fences, an outer courtyard, and possibly a wooden main tower. The castle was about 53 meters (175 feet) above the river. It would have looked over the Don Valley. It was built right across from the village, where the old Anglo-Saxon fortress probably was.
William's son, also named William, owned the castle from 1088 to 1138. Then his son, another William, owned it until he died in 1147. After that, Conisbrough and the earldom went to William's daughter, Isabel.
Isabel first married William de Blois. Then, in 1163, she married Hamelin Plantagenet. Hamelin was the half-brother of King Henry II, who arranged the marriage. This marriage made Hamelin very rich. Hamelin rebuilt much of the castle between 1180 and 1190. He built the stone keep (main tower). Since he was new to being a powerful lord, he likely wanted to show off his new high rank. King John visited the castle in 1201.
Middle Ages: 13th – 15th Centuries
Hamelin Plantagenet's family continued to own the castle. His son William de Warenne inherited it in 1202. William likely built new stone walls around the inner courtyard. He removed the old earth defenses. The inner courtyard was leveled, and William built a hall and other stone buildings inside the castle.
In 1239, William's young son John de Warenne inherited Conisbrough. But he was still a child, so his mother, Maud, managed the castle first. During John's time, the castle's managers did some "unlawful dealings." One was even accused of "devilish and countless oppressions." More work was done on the castle during John's ownership. This included updating the castle hall and solar (private room).
The castle then went to John's grandson, also named John. In 1304, he married Joan de Barr. Their marriage failed, but John could not get a divorce in 1316. John blamed Thomas, the Earl of Lancaster, for this. So, John kidnapped Thomas's wife. In return, Thomas took Conisbrough Castle.
King Edward II got involved and confirmed Thomas as the new owner. However, in 1322, Thomas rebelled against the King and was executed. This meant Edward took control of Conisbrough himself. The King visited the castle in 1322. He spent 40 marks (an old form of money) on fixing Conisbrough and the nearby Pontefract Castle.
Edward was overthrown by his wife Isabella in 1326. The castle was then returned to John. John wanted to leave the castle to his mistress and two sons born outside of marriage. But he outlived them. When he died in 1347, the castle went back to the Crown (the King).
King Edward III gave the castle to his own son, Edmund of Langley, the Duke of York. Edmund controlled it until 1402. Edmund's oldest son, Edward, owned it until 1415. Then it went to Maud Clifford, the widow of Edmund's younger son Richard. She lived there until 1446.
Richard of York then inherited the castle. When he died in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses, it went to his son Edward. Edward became king in 1461, bringing Conisbrough back under royal ownership.
Decline and Rediscovery: 16th – 19th Centuries
By the 16th century, Conisbrough Castle was in very bad condition. A royal survey in 1537 and 1538 showed that the gates, bridge, and parts of the walls had fallen due to a large landslip. One floor of the main tower had also collapsed. The walls fell because the soil on top of the limestone hill was unstable. Over time, clay washed away, leaving unstable sandstone that cracked easily.
King Henry VIII gave the ruined castle to the Carey family. It then passed through marriage to the Heviningham and later the Coke families. The castle was not involved in the English Civil War in the 17th century. It was not destroyed like many other castles. This was probably because its outer walls had already collapsed, making it useless for military defense. In 1737, after Edward Coke died, Thomas Osborne, the Duke of Leeds, bought the castle and the land around it for £22,500.
In 1811, the novelist Sir Walter Scott passed by the castle. He later used it as the setting for his novel Ivanhoe, published in 1819. Scott only saw part of the castle from the road. The events in his novel, set in the late 12th century, are made up. Scott believed the castle was Saxon, a common idea in the 1800s.
In 1826, writer John Wainwright still praised the "picturesque view" around the castle. But by 1887, historian Ecroyd Smith worried about the changes. Factories were growing up near the new railway line. The industrial work created a "murky atmosphere."
In 1859, Francis D'Arcy-Osborne, the Duke of Leeds, died. He left Conisbrough to his nephew, Sackville Lane-Fox, the Baron Conyers. The main tower was still in good shape. But by 1884, it was clear that repairs were needed. Historian George Clark suggested urgent work to fix the stonework. He also hoped to put a roof and wooden floors back in if there was enough money.
The trustees of Lord Conyers approved limited repairs. However, Clark's colleague, A. Ellis, was concerned that money was not approved for railings. These railings would protect visitors who often climbed to the top of the tower. About £500 was spent by the trustees to fix the castle ruins. This included building a lodge for the castle keeper in the outer courtyard in 1885. Footpaths were also improved.
Modern Era: 20th – 21st Centuries
The local council of Conisbrough bought the castle in the 1940s. In 1949, they placed the castle under the care of the Ministry of Public Works. But the council kept ownership of the land.
Archaeologists dug at the site twice. From 1967 to 1969, they found the foundations of buildings in the inner courtyard. From 1973 to 1977, they looked into ideas for future visitor facilities. By 1984, when English Heritage took over, the visitor services were not good. The industrial area around the castle was also stopping tourists from visiting.
To fix this, English Heritage and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council made an agreement in 1988 with the Ivanhoe Trust. This local charity aimed to create new jobs. Under this agreement, the trust would manage the site. English Heritage would keep the castle's old structures in good condition. The council would build a new visitors' center.
A new, unusual visitors' center was built. It looked like a collection of jousting tents. Between 1993 and 1995, the floors and roof of the main tower were put back. This was done with money from the European Union. It was hoped this would stop the castle stonework from wearing away.
However, the number of visitors after these improvements was much lower than expected. By 2006, about 30,000 people visited each year. This was only a little more than in the early 1980s. The outside facilities did not last well. Money problems led to the new audio-visual effects in the main tower being turned off to save costs. The three partners discussed the castle's future, but their relationship broke down. English Heritage took back direct management of the castle in 2008.
The castle closed in 2013 for a £1.1 million renovation project. This was paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund. As part of this, a new visitors' center and facilities were built. Conisbrough Castle is protected by UK law. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Castle Design and Features
Inner and Outer Courtyards
Conisbrough Castle has an outer and an inner courtyard. The outer courtyard is about 79 by 37 meters (260 by 120 feet). The inner courtyard is about 88 by 62 meters (290 by 205 feet). You would enter the castle through the outer courtyard. This rectangular area was protected by earthworks. It would have held the castle's barns, stables, and other service buildings.
A drawbridge on the north side of the outer courtyard connected it to the inner courtyard. This drawbridge is now replaced by an earth path. The oval inner courtyard was made by shaping the natural hills. This created a bank (now mostly gone) and a protective ditch.
The stone wall around the inner courtyard was built in the early 13th century. It is mostly made of rough, layered stone. It is up to 2.1 meters (7 feet) thick and 10.6 meters (35 feet) high. Two parts of the wall have been repaired with smooth, cut stone. The wall was defended by six towers along its south and west sides. Three of these towers are still mostly standing. The wall was also strengthened with flat supports (buttresses) along the northern edge. The bottom parts of the walls and towers were wider. This helped spread their weight. However, their foundations are only 0.6 meters (2 feet) deep in some places.
A barbican (a fortified gatehouse) protected the path from the drawbridge to the inner courtyard's main gate. It even had an extra corner turret. You can still see the remains of the fallen wall in the ditch.
Various buildings were built along the inside of the inner courtyard wall. They were made of similar rough stone as the wall. Only their foundations remain today. In the southwest corner was the solar block. This contained the solar (a private room) and other chambers. Along the north side was the hall. It was placed in an awkward corner of the wall. It was 21 by 9 meters (70 by 30 feet) in size and probably had two stories. It first had a central fireplace. A new fireplace was added to the outer wall in the late 13th century. Next to the hall were a kitchen and pantry. The kitchen had a cellar. On the southeast side of the inner courtyard was the castle chapel, which was 6 by 12 meters (20 by 40 feet) across.
The Keep (Main Tower)
Conisbrough's keep (main tower) was placed on the northeast side of the inner courtyard. It is an important medieval building that still stands. Historians call it "one of the finest keeps in England" and an "architectural gem." They also say it is "one of the finest examples of late Norman defensive architecture."
The keep has a round central tower, 19 meters (62 feet) across. It has six large, solid buttresses (supports) sticking out. This gives it a unique hexagonal shape, found nowhere else in England. It was built from magnesian limestone. It is 28 meters (92 feet) tall with walls up to 4.6 meters (15 feet) thick in some places.
It has four floors: a ground floor that acts as a basement and a stone support for the room above. The first floor is where you entered the keep. There are two upper floors and a roof walk. The roof walk was probably covered and had battlements for defense.
The concrete stairs to the keep today are modern. The original medieval stairway was made of timber and stone. It would have had a drawbridge just before the castle doors. The basement had a well. Water could also be drawn from the first floor through a hole in the stone floor.
The keep was designed as a private tower for Hamelin Plantagenet. It was not meant to house many different families. So, its layout was simpler than other keeps of that time, like Orford Castle. The second and third floors would have been the main room and the lord's private room. These rooms were stacked vertically. A vaulted, hexagonal chapel led off the private room. It was built into one of the buttresses.
Most of the castle would have been very dark. This was due to a lack of natural light. However, the main room had a large window, 0.56 by 1.42 meters (1 foot 10 inches by 4 feet 8 inches). It had deep recesses because the walls were so thick. Two carved seats were next to the window. A similar window was above it in the private room. The keep had advanced fireplaces and chimneys for its time. The fireplace in the main room was very large and decorated with stone columns and carved tops.
Conisbrough Castle was probably similar to two other castles owned by the Warren earls. Hamelin Plantagenet also helped develop Mortemer Castle in France. A similar keep was built there on top of a mound. Conisbrough might also have looked like Sandal Castle in northern England, also owned by the earls.
The design of the keep was not very strong for military defense. The round central tower was good for defense. But the buttresses created 12 weak corners in the stonework. The keep itself had no arrow slots for defenders to shoot at attackers. Instead of being built mainly for defense, it was made to show Hamelin's power and new high social status.
See also
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in England
- Grade I listed buildings in South Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Conisbrough and Denaby
