You are now standing inside the barbican and in front of the gatehouse. The barbican protected the gatehouse - the entrance to the castle and the weakest point in the castle walls. It was manned by porters and closed at dusk. Originally the . . . — — Map (db m278650) HM
Welcome to Conisbrough Castle, containing one of the most impressive surviving 12th-century keeps in England. Conisbrough means the 'the king's burh' (fortified settlement) and it was an important centre of power probably as early as the 8th or 9th . . . — — Map (db m277817) HM
You are now in the inner bailey looking at the remains of the residential apartments. Built against the curtain walls, they were extended in the early 15th century. When the keep was first built, that was where the lord and lady stayed when they . . . — — Map (db m278653) HM
What Happened Here…
This building is unusual amongst English towers because its entrance chamber has no natural light. Guards would not have slept in a pitch-black room and it was probably used as a reception and for storage. The basement . . . — — Map (db m279022) HM
In medieval castles the kitchen was at the heart of the service range. A great number of people helped to prepare food for the lord, his family and their servants.
Conisbrough's kitchen was a square timber framed building with a pyramidal roof . . . — — Map (db m278849) HM
The hall was the largest room in the castle and the centre of its public life. It was an impressive, richly decorated space displaying the earl's wealth and status. Although everyone could enter the hall it was arranged to reflect the household's . . . — — Map (db m278655) HM
This tower, or keep, was built by Hamelin Earl de Warenne, in the 1170s. It was the strongest building in the castle and housed the lord's most private rooms, where he invited the privileged few. In his great chamber he met with important guests and . . . — — Map (db m279021) HM
The heart of the castle was the inner bailey. It contained all the important buildings and was protected by curtain walls. The existing rubble stone walls were built at the beginning of the 13th century replacing earth and timber defences. The walls . . . — — Map (db m278649) HM
If you look down into the inner bailey and compare what you see with the reconstruction drawing on the far right you will see how much this space has changed over the centuries. In the Middle Ages, the bailey housed a great number of buildings, . . . — — Map (db m278866) HM
The views from the keep have changed dramatically since it was first built. With the advance of the railway and modern industry, the large areas of arable fields and woodlands have been replaced by housing estates, collieries and warehouses. Iron . . . — — Map (db m278860) HM
In the Middle Ages the rooftop level of the keep looked very different to what you can see now. The crenellated walls were higher and protected the guards on duty. The turrets had viewing platforms and small rooms which provided shelter but also . . . — — Map (db m278851) HM
The view south-west shows how close the castle and town are to each other. Conisbrough is an ancient settlement, it was here long before the castle, but it is possible that in the Middle Ages the two formed a large fortified settlement with a series . . . — — Map (db m278857) HM
