Weather

Today the 12th of March, we still have snow on the ground.  It has snowed off and on the last three days. Not a lot has accumulated, but after a day of sun, it's surprising how much is left.  Today it is 28 degrees, and we have wind out of Siberia so it feels like 5 degrees.  The wind is dying down and the 28 will soon feel warm! Enjoy Spring if you have it.  We have flowers and trees blooming but the temperature forgot to go up.

Bolsover Castle

Horse yard and Little Castle

Horse yard -Terrace block in background Riding School left

 

This castle was built on the site of an early wooden castle.  Sir Charles Cavendish bought the old fortress in 1612 and built his Little Castle project. 

Little Castle entrance- Hercules over door

It was not designed for defense but as a retreat into the imaginary golden age of chivalry, courtly love, and opulent wealth. All the fireplaces are opulent whether in a drawing room or the top floor bedchamber. 

Star drawing room

First floor drawing room

First floor drawing room

Upper floor Bedchamber - Notice fireplace

Servants hall off entrance - Hercules paintings

His son, the first Duke of Newcastle, had a passion for training horses in dressage and built an indoor riding school.  It is one of only a few in the country. 

Riding school main doors to arena

Arena - Stable master rooms over viewing at the far end

16th century saddle designed especially for dressage- very uncomfortable!

He also added a terrace block, now in ruin, with a great hall, entrance/ballroom, and dining room.

Rear of Terrace block- little Castle in distance

Entrance hall/ ballroom of terrace block

  His goal was to invite the King and his court which he did.  He has an original play written and performed for the king in the fountain garden. 

Fountain garden. Wall thick enough to have rooms in them with fireplaces.

Venus fountain in the fountain garden

 The visit of the king and entourage would have cost in today’s pounds about one million or a million and a half dollars.

Cusworth Hall

Main Entrance

This is a typical country home.  It was built in 1740 as a showplace.  It has extensive grounds and overlooks Doncaster to its south. 

View of Doncaster

 

Entrance drive and gate house

Snow drops in gardens

The last son that inherited it squandered all the money on gambling. When he died and his sister inherited the house, she had to sell all the furnishings to pay the inheritance taxes.  The house was then either sold or given to the county and is now run as a museum of what life was like over the last 200 years in the Doncaster area.

Kitchen- Used as is until 1951

 

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