Mexborough and Swinton Times, February 11, 1938

History Recalled
Conisborough Castle

Some interesting information on Conisborough Castle was given by Mr. Ethert Brand, .M.B.E., hon. curator of Rotherham Museum, in a lantern lecture at Rotherham Museum last week. There was a large attendance of over 150, some people having to stand. There were a number of people from Conisborough.

Mr Brand observed there was a saying that happy was the place that had no history. His counter-statement was that unhappy was the place that had too much history”

Such a place was Conisborough Castle, with the many hysterical’ rather than historical statements about its dim past: These took the Castle back to ancient Britain, Roman and even Anglo-Saxon times.

They could be placed in the category of Sir Walter Scott’s scenes in “Ivanhoe” that were supposed to have taken place in the Castle.

There was not the slightest foundation for all these statements.

The, Castle was of the early Norman mount and bailey type of construction. The place name of Conisborough,; namely that of King’s Borough; seemed to demand that there was a fortified’ post of some description in the Anglo-Saxon days, but this fortified-post need not of necessity have been on the Castle site, but may have been by the river or, more probably, on a site around the Church and township, which stands higher than the Castle site.

Mr Brand showed by means of a magnificent series of air views, various castles in. England, distinctly showing earth works similar to that of Conisborough’s and they were all without the slightest doubt of the early Norman period.

Slides numbering 150 showed the Castle in all its detail and also other castles with which Conisborough was compared.

The most noteworthy slides were those displaying the intricate detail of the Castle keep, especially details of the charming little oratory chapel, which was built within one of the buttresses. Also of great interest ere views displaying the interior of the basement of the keep. These are not apparent to the ordinary visitor.

Mr. F. J: Boardman, Borough librarian, was in the chair.