The castle is located on castle hill, Conisbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England and is looked after by English Heritage. The castle was initially built in the 11th century by William De Warenne, the earl of surrey, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Hamelin Plantagenet, the illegitimate son of Henry II, acquired the property by marriage in the late 12th century. Hamelin and his son William rebuilt the castle in stone, including its prominent 28 metre high keep. The castle remained in the family line into the 14th century, despite being seized several times by the crown. The fortification was then given to Edmund of Langley, passing back into royal ownership in 1461. Conisbrough castle fell into ruin, its outer wall badly affected by subsidence and was given to the Carey family in the 16th century. Its derelict state prevented it from involvement in the English civil war of the 17th century and the remains were bought by the Duke of Leeds in 1737. Sir Walter Scott used the location for his 1819 novel Ivanhoe and by the end of the 19th century the ruins had become a tourist attraction. The state took over the management of the property in 1950, but by the 1980s the visitor facilities were felt to be unsuitable, leading to a three way partnership being created between the local council, English heritage and a local charitable trust to develop the castle. English Heritage took over control of the castle in 2008 and continue to operate the property as a tourist attraction.
This is an artists impression of the castle.
The photographs that follow show how the castle looks to this day.
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Now THIS is a castle!!! Arched and rectangular windows. You have arched gateways, doors as well as squared passageways or doors. Thick stone walls which I imagine soldiers and maybe even some knights stood on top of them defending it. Wow. This one really spells history! I love it. This is great! Good photos and you know it's a good subject, my friend!
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