Conisbrough
Encyclopedia
Conisbrough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
, in South Yorkshire
, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster
and Rotherham
, and is built alongside the River Don at 53°29′N 1°14′W. It has a population of 15,361.
. The manor became royal again under Harold II of England, and by the Norman Conquest, 28 townships in what is now South Yorkshire belonged to the Lord of Conisbrough. William the Conqueror gave the whole lordship to William de Warenne
.
The name of Conisbrough relates to a king's stronghold and this is usually presumed to have either been on the site of Conisbrough Castle
, or of the parish church. At the time of the Norman Conquest the manor of Conisbrough was held by King Harold - he was defeated at the Battle of Hastings. Conisbrough Castle is contained within an artificial oval-shaped enclosure similar to one used as wapentake meeting-places at Gringley-on-the-Hill
and East Markham
, leading Malcolm Dolby to suppose the castle site may have once been the meeting-place of the Strafforth and Tickhill
wapentake.
Conisbrough contains what is believed to be the oldest building in South Yorkshire: the probably 8th century Anglo-Saxon St Peter's Church. The church was enlarged in the twelfth century, and David Hey claims that it was a Minster church, forming the centre of a large, early parish covering all or much of the eleventh century Fee of Conisbrough.
Peter Langtoft, writing in the 13th century, claimed that Egbert of Wessex
had been received at "Burghe Conane", which is often identified with Conisbrough.
wrote about the town, claiming that it had been fortified by Ambrosius Aurelianus
, king of the Britons after his victory over the Saxon forces of Hengist (Historia Regum Britanniae viii, 7), that the captive Saxon leader Hengist was hacked to pieces by Eldol outside the town walls, and was buried at "Hengist's Mound" in the town.
In Sir Walter Scott's novel, Ivanhoe
, 'Coningsburgh Castle' is based on Conisbrough. Scott's Coningsburgh is a Saxon fortress, based (perhaps knowingly) on the mistaken conclusion that its unique style marked it as a non-Norman castle. The great tower is described specifically, so that it is clear that Scott has the Norman version of Conisbrough in mind.
Famous people from Conisbrough include the singer Tony Christie
, Groove Armada/Faithless bass guitarist Jonathan White and playwright Justin Scott.
(Now called the De Warenne Academy). The Emmanuel Schools Foundation
's scheme to turn Northcliffe into an Academy was scrapped after protests by parents, students and staff, despite the enthusiastic backing of Conisbrough councillor Aidan Rave and Doncaster Mayor Martin Winter. Primary Schools are Ivanhoe, Morley Place and Station Road.
Primary Education in Conisbrough is provided by Ivanhoe Primary, Station Road Primary, Morley Place Juniors, Rowena Infants & Balby Street Primary.
Further Education is now available at the De Warrene Academy (post 2010) however many residents of the village choose to either attend Dearne Valley College or Doncaster College both a short bus ride away from Conisbrough.
. Pubs in the town include the Star on Sheffield Road. The street formerly known as Butt Hole Road
is located in Conisbrough, which was made famous due to its name that embarrassed local residents.
Conisbrough also has a Co-op in the town centre opposite the Sainsburys Store again used for local conviniences.
Other stores include the Crusty Cob Shop & Whites, both local bakeries. The banks in the village are Nat West & Santander. The remainder of the stores are all local such as Bargain Fashions & Hair Salons.
X78 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Rotherham - Meadowhall - Sheffield [Every 10 Minutes] First South Yorkshire
220 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Denaby Main - Mexborough - Manvers - Wath Upon Dearne - Swinton - Warren Vale - Rotherham [Every 30 Minutes] Stagecoach
221 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Denaby Main - Windhill - Mexborough - Swinton - Warren Vale - Rotherham [Every 30 Minutes] Stagecoach
222 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Denaby Main - Mexborough (change at Mexborough for onward connections to Swinton, Wath Upon Dearne, Wombwell & Barnsley)[Every 30 Minutes] Stagecoach
Service 220/221/222 provide a 10 minute combined service into both Doncaster Frenchgate and Mexborough.
and the main operator from the railway station is Northern Rail
There is generally a half hourly service in both directions from Conisbrough railway station between: Doncaster, Conisbrough, Mexborough, Swinton, Rotherham Central, Meadowhall and Sheffield.
An hourly service throughout the day is extended from Doncaster to Adwick via Bentley.
Doncaster to Scunthorpe via Kirk Sandall, Hatfield & Stainforth, Thorne South, Crowle, Althorpe & Scunthorpe
Sheffield to Lincoln Central via Darnall, Woodhouse, Kiverton Park / Bridge, Shireoaks, Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough Lea Road, Saxilby & Lincoln Central.
The other service terminates at Sheffield.
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....
, in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, and is built alongside the River Don at 53°29′N 1°14′W. It has a population of 15,361.
Etymology
The name is Conisbrough is descended from the Old English Cyningesburh (first recorded c.1000) meaning "king's stronghold" or "king's fortified place".History
The historian David Hey describes Conisbrough as appearing to be the most important place in Anglo-Saxon and Viking South Yorkshire. In a will of around 1003, Conisbrough was bequeathed by Wulfric Spott, founder of Burton Abbey. At this point, it appears to have been the centre of a major former royal estate, reaching Hatfield ChaseHatfield Chase
Hatfield Chase was a low-lying area in South Yorkshire, England which often flooded and is chiefly known from the Battle of Hatfield Chase in 633. It was a royal hunting ground until Charles I appointed the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden to drain it in 1626...
. The manor became royal again under Harold II of England, and by the Norman Conquest, 28 townships in what is now South Yorkshire belonged to the Lord of Conisbrough. William the Conqueror gave the whole lordship to William de Warenne
William de Warenne
William de Warenne may refer to:*William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey *William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey *William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey *William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey...
.
The name of Conisbrough relates to a king's stronghold and this is usually presumed to have either been on the site of Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle is a 12th-century castle in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England, whose remains are dominated by the 97-foot high circular keep, which is supported by six buttresses. In the mid-1990s, the keep was restored, with a wooden roof and two floors being rebuilt...
, or of the parish church. At the time of the Norman Conquest the manor of Conisbrough was held by King Harold - he was defeated at the Battle of Hastings. Conisbrough Castle is contained within an artificial oval-shaped enclosure similar to one used as wapentake meeting-places at Gringley-on-the-Hill
Gringley-on-the-Hill
Gringley-on-the-Hill, Nottinghamshire, is an English village and parish. It is on the highest part of the road from Bawtry to Gainsborough, six miles east-southeast of the former, and the same distance west by north of the latter town.- Location :...
and East Markham
East Markham
East Markham, historically also known as Great Markham, is a small village near Tuxford, Nottinghamshire. It lies about 8 km south of Retford...
, leading Malcolm Dolby to suppose the castle site may have once been the meeting-place of the Strafforth and Tickhill
Strafforth and Tickhill
Strafforth and Tickhill, originally known as Strafforth, was the southernmost wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The west of the district, plus a detached area in the east, constituted the Upper Division, while the central area and a detached part in the extreme east constituted...
wapentake.
Conisbrough contains what is believed to be the oldest building in South Yorkshire: the probably 8th century Anglo-Saxon St Peter's Church. The church was enlarged in the twelfth century, and David Hey claims that it was a Minster church, forming the centre of a large, early parish covering all or much of the eleventh century Fee of Conisbrough.
Peter Langtoft, writing in the 13th century, claimed that Egbert of Wessex
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
had been received at "Burghe Conane", which is often identified with Conisbrough.
Literature
Geoffrey of MonmouthGeoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
wrote about the town, claiming that it had been fortified by Ambrosius Aurelianus
Ambrosius Aurelianus
Ambrosius Aurelianus, ; called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere, was a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas...
, king of the Britons after his victory over the Saxon forces of Hengist (Historia Regum Britanniae viii, 7), that the captive Saxon leader Hengist was hacked to pieces by Eldol outside the town walls, and was buried at "Hengist's Mound" in the town.
In Sir Walter Scott's novel, Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
, 'Coningsburgh Castle' is based on Conisbrough. Scott's Coningsburgh is a Saxon fortress, based (perhaps knowingly) on the mistaken conclusion that its unique style marked it as a non-Norman castle. The great tower is described specifically, so that it is clear that Scott has the Norman version of Conisbrough in mind.
UFOs
On March 28, 1966, Stephen Pratt, a schoolboy, photographed a formation of UFOs flying over the Conisbrough Crags, The photograph was examined by photographic experts and also proven genuine by Kodak. Despite this, Stephen and his family have endured many years of scepticism.Earth Centre
In the mid-1990s, a new tourist attraction, Earth Centre, opened on the nearby site of the former Cadeby Main Colliery; it closed in 2005 after failing to attract the expected number of visitors. A leisure centre has been built on the site of the former Denaby Main Colliery. In the 2008 drama Survivors, the Earth centre was used as the place Abby was shot and taken in.Famous people from Conisbrough include the singer Tony Christie
Tony Christie
Tony Christie is an English musician, singer and actor. He is best known for his track, "Is This The Way To Amarillo", a double UK chart success.-Career:Tony Christie has sold over 10 million albums Worldwide...
, Groove Armada/Faithless bass guitarist Jonathan White and playwright Justin Scott.
Education
Conisbrough has one secondary school, Northcliffe SchoolNorthcliffe School (Conisbrough)
The De Warenne Academy is a comprehensive school on Gardens Lane in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England.-History:The school changed its name in September 2009, when it became an academy...
(Now called the De Warenne Academy). The Emmanuel Schools Foundation
Emmanuel Schools Foundation
The Emmanuel Schools Foundation is a charitable trust which has been involved in education since 1989.ESF sponsored four schools: Emmanuel City Technology College in Gateshead , The King's Academy in Middlesbrough , Trinity Academy in Thorne, Doncaster and Bede Academy in Blyth, Northumberland...
's scheme to turn Northcliffe into an Academy was scrapped after protests by parents, students and staff, despite the enthusiastic backing of Conisbrough councillor Aidan Rave and Doncaster Mayor Martin Winter. Primary Schools are Ivanhoe, Morley Place and Station Road.
Primary Education in Conisbrough is provided by Ivanhoe Primary, Station Road Primary, Morley Place Juniors, Rowena Infants & Balby Street Primary.
Further Education is now available at the De Warrene Academy (post 2010) however many residents of the village choose to either attend Dearne Valley College or Doncaster College both a short bus ride away from Conisbrough.
Amenities
The town lies at the junction of the A6023 and the A630 Doncaster - Rotherham road. To the west is Denaby MainDenaby Main Colliery Village
Denaby Main is a village situated between Mexborough and Conisbrough in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It was built by the Denaby Main Colliery Company to house its workers and their families, and originally given the name Denaby Main Colliery Village, to...
. Pubs in the town include the Star on Sheffield Road. The street formerly known as Butt Hole Road
Butt Hole Road
Butt Hole Road is the former name of a street in the town of Conisbrough, Doncaster, England, within the county of South Yorkshire. The street gained fame for its suggestive name, and has since been renamed to Archers Way...
is located in Conisbrough, which was made famous due to its name that embarrassed local residents.
Shopping
The largest store in Conisbrough is the Sainsburys Local which serves village residents with products required from a local supermarket, this store is still referred to most as "Kwik Save" which was the previous store on this site.Conisbrough also has a Co-op in the town centre opposite the Sainsburys Store again used for local conviniences.
Other stores include the Crusty Cob Shop & Whites, both local bakeries. The banks in the village are Nat West & Santander. The remainder of the stores are all local such as Bargain Fashions & Hair Salons.
Bus services
The main bus operator in the town is Stagecoach providing an extensive network of services into Doncaster & throughout the Dearne Valley referred to as "The Dearne Link". Buses run at least every 10 minutes into Doncaster & Mexborough and at least half hourly through to Barnsley, Wath & Rotherham.X78 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Rotherham - Meadowhall - Sheffield [Every 10 Minutes] First South Yorkshire
220 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Denaby Main - Mexborough - Manvers - Wath Upon Dearne - Swinton - Warren Vale - Rotherham [Every 30 Minutes] Stagecoach
221 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Denaby Main - Windhill - Mexborough - Swinton - Warren Vale - Rotherham [Every 30 Minutes] Stagecoach
222 Doncaster - Conisbrough - Denaby Main - Mexborough (change at Mexborough for onward connections to Swinton, Wath Upon Dearne, Wombwell & Barnsley)[Every 30 Minutes] Stagecoach
Service 220/221/222 provide a 10 minute combined service into both Doncaster Frenchgate and Mexborough.
Rail services
The town is served by Conisbrough railway stationConisbrough railway station
Conisbrough railway station is a railway station in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England. The station is south west of Doncaster towards Sheffield...
and the main operator from the railway station is Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
There is generally a half hourly service in both directions from Conisbrough railway station between: Doncaster, Conisbrough, Mexborough, Swinton, Rotherham Central, Meadowhall and Sheffield.
An hourly service throughout the day is extended from Doncaster to Adwick via Bentley.
Doncaster to Scunthorpe via Kirk Sandall, Hatfield & Stainforth, Thorne South, Crowle, Althorpe & Scunthorpe
Sheffield to Lincoln Central via Darnall, Woodhouse, Kiverton Park / Bridge, Shireoaks, Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough Lea Road, Saxilby & Lincoln Central.
The other service terminates at Sheffield.