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| The keep at Conisbrough castle |
The
first stone castle at Conisbrough was constructed in the late 12th century
by Hamelin Plantagenet, the illegitimate half-brother of King Henry II, and the
extremely well preserved round keep is the only one of its kind in England.
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| The staircases in Conisbrough castle keep |
It
is very solidly built and, looking at the exterior, the fine ashlar masonry is
punctuated by a few small windows that light the staircases - which are
incorporated into its thick walls - and the chambers that lead off from the principal
rooms on the upper floors.
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| The principal chamber |
When
I first visited Conisbrough Castle, the keep was an empty shell and
although you could go up to the top and take in the views of the surrounding
landscape, the magnificent fireplaces and other fine architectural details
- carved in Permian dolomitic limestone - could hardly be seen.
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| A detail from the fireplace in the principal chamber |
Now,
with the roof and floors reinstated – and with artificial lighting to
illuminate what would originally have been a very dark interior – these can now
be fully appreciated...
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| A detail of a vaulted ceiling |
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