Conisbrough Castle

Castle entrance- moat filled in under drawbridge

This is a local castle that John drives by on the way to work every day.  We thought we should really go see it.  It sits upon the highest point in the town of Conisbrough and the site of an earlier wooden fort. The current castle was built in 1100’s and abandoned before the English civil war in 1645 so was not attacked.  As a result the keep is in remarkable condition. 

Keep - notice entrance stairs on right. Original ones had a small draw bridge.

 

 It is nearly 100 feet high cylindrical with wedge shaped buttresses.  The main entrance to the keep is up on the first floor.  The ground floor had no entrances from the outside and could only be accessed from ladders on the first floor.

 

Lower or ground floor of keep.

                      The round staircase to the main hall is surprisingly wide for a castle. 

Stairs to main hall

 

Main Hall fireplace

Only the Lord and his family must have stayed in the keep as there are not a lot of bedchambers. 

Master's bedchamber

 

 Their servants however would often sleep on the floor in the main hall or the floor of the master’s bedchamber.  Castle living in the 1100’s was very communial.

North Wall of Castle yard-Keep to the right

The Keep was the place of last retreat in the event of an attach.  This castle was the first to have rounded turrets for protection.  The rounded design allowed defenders to have a wider view.

Unusual round tower in castle wall
 

                   The view of the sourranding area is impressive from the roof of the keep.

View looking NE from top of Keep- river in the valley