Conisbrough Castle originates in the Norman period, but the existing structure is largely the work of the Warrenne family, with the keep, by far the most important of the surviving buildings, dating from the 12th Century.
When the Warenne family died out in the 14th Century, their lands escheated to the crown and a large share was given to Edmund of Langley. This was and remained the key part of his apanage.
For some years, Conisbrough was the most important castle Edmund owned – until he acquired Fotheringhay. It is possible that all three of his children were born there. The youngest, Richard, certainly was, probably in 1385.
Fotheringhay was certainly the York family’s HQ at this time, and Edmund spent considerable sums upgrading it. It was, of course, his closest home to London and the Thames Valley, the centre of court activities. His Yorkshire castles (Conisbrough and Sandal) were more remote in that sense, and it is unclear to what extent he used them. They would certainly have made excellent bases for hunting.
Edmund died at Epworth in Lincolnshire. It is almost certain that he was on his way to or from his northern estates.
His younger son, Richard, received no inheritance, apart from the annuity granted him by Richard II. This has provoked all sorts of conspiracy theories from historians and others who don’t realise:
- Edmund did not have all that much land to pass on.
- There was a powerful convention that a family’s whole landed inheritance should pass to the eldest son.
- Edmund was not wealthy enough to buy additional lands for his younger son, as his obscenely rich brother did for the benefit of the Beauforts.
- Richard did, in fact, have his annuity anyway.
At some point, Richard, and his wife, Anne Mortimer, began to live at Conisbrough. This must have been with the agreement of his brother, Edward, the 2nd Duke of York, although we do not have any surviving paperwork. Richard sometimes acted as his brother’s deputy, albeit not with any obvious aplomb.
After Richard’s execution in 1415, his widow, Maud Clifford (his second wife) continued to live at Conisbrough Castle until her death in 1446. As she owned property in her own right she was far from penurious.
After Maud’s death, the castle appears to have fallen in importance and was little used, if at all, by the 3rd Duke and his family. By 1538, the keep had lost its roof and floors and much of the castle was ruinous.
Because it fell into disuse so early, it would not have been of military value in the Civil War. This may be one reason it has survived. It is relatively easy to reach by local train or bus from Sheffield and Doncaster and is well worth a visit. Its surroundings are now much more rural than a few decades ago when the whole town was dominated by the huge Denaby and Cadeby Colliery complex. If you climb to the highest available point and look over many acres of woodland, it’s quite possible to imagine Edmund of Langley still out there, chasing the deer through the trees.
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