While on our drive to Northumberland from Wiltshire, we stopped about half way during our 6 hour journey for a bit of leg stretching at Conisbrough Castle situated just outside Doncaster in Yorkshire.

This is the castle that inspired the location of Sir Walter Scott’s famous book, Ivanhoe, published in 1819.

Conisbrough has a rather interesting history. After the Norman Conquest the castle was associated with the De Warenne family.

Then there is a rather intriguing love story between Isabel de Warenne and Hamelin Plantagenet from about 1164. She was a wealthy heiress (who didn’t seem that keen on the marriage for starters) and he was the illegitimate son of Geoffrey of Anjou, so effectively this was a sort of arranged marriage for position as was the case in those days between aristocracy.

The castle is also linked with the House of York and the War of the Roses (between the Houses of York and Lancaster in the mid to late 5th century)

For more information on the history of the castle, have a look at English Heritage

Don’t forget to have a look at the little museum at the main entrance/shop.

The ruins of the modern-day castle feature an inner and outer bailey as well as a prominent keep (tower)– consisting of 3 stories and there are magnificent views of the area from the roof.

It also has indoor plumbing – obviously not for public use!

It would have been quite something in its day and is luckily still around to appreciate today.

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All images used are personal photographs taken during a visit to Conisbrough Castle in October 2021.

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