It’s no wonder majestic Conisbrough Castle has become one of the most popular attractions in South Yorkshire.
The lofty 12th century keep of this very well-preserved building, now complete with its restored roof and floors, is a spectacular sight. It had a major role to play in the Wars of the Roses and was once owned by Richard of York.
Conisbrough Castle featured in Sir Walter Scott’s 'Ivanhoe', and with its many reminders of the golden age of knights in armour it makes a great value family day out near Doncaster.
This is a lovely example of a keep and bailey castle of which we all learnt about at school. The un-intrusive work to allow exploration of the keep is a lovely addition to this structure allowing visitors to envisage the reality of castle life, as well as climbing to the top for stunning views of the South Yorkshire Countryside. The narrative device used through short videos whilst climbing the keep is a wonderful touch to allow us to understand what actually happened within these walls all those years ago whilst taking rest-stop breathers to absorb the maps and plans presented at each level.
What I will say as a slight negative is that I feel the site is a little understaffed. Without knowing the 'rules' of the site, we climbed up the slope to enter the castle before being called back down to verify tickets, despite signage telling us to have tickets ready where we were climbing. But this is only a minor detail - the lady we spoke to was wonderfully informative and helpful and gave us great instruction on how to enjoy the site best.
It goes without saying that this is an ancient site - mediaeval castle builders didn't care about wheelchairs and it is not the fault of English Heritage that this site is largely inaccessible to those with mobility issues. But please be aware - the slopes and steps ARE steep so even if you consider yourself fully mobile, please bear your own health in mind. It IS exhilarating to reach the top of the tower, but it is difficult in places - so please be aware of your own limitations.
There is a lot to interest people here, but I feel that allowing more than 2 hours to explore the full site (even in ill health) is a little excessive, so please bear that in mind if you are planning a day out. This is best suited to a "few hours' outing" rather than a full day's excursion.
Will definitely visit again - as the view from the top is worth the price of admission alone. :)
Visited on Aug 28, 2021
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