Editing Conisbrough (section)

==History==
{{See also|Conisbrough Castle}}
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 Chase]].  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, 1st Earl of Surrey|William de Warenne]].<ref name="hey" />

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 Harold II - he was defeated at the [[Battle of Hastings]].<ref name="REEVE"/> 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]] and [[East Markham]], leading Malcolm Dolby to suppose the castle site may have once been the meeting-place of the [[Strafforth and Tickhill]] wapentake.<ref name="hey" />
[[File:St.Peter's church - geograph.org.uk - 922213.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[St Peter's Church, Conisbrough]]]]
Conisbrough contains what is believed to be the oldest building in South Yorkshire: the probably 8th-century [[St Peter's Church, Conisbrough|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.<ref name="hey" />

[[Peter Langtoft]], writing in the 13th century, claimed that [[Egbert of Wessex]] had been received at "Burghe Conane", which is often identified with Conisbrough.<ref name="hey">David Hey, ''Medieval South Yorkshire''</ref>

[[Conisbrough Urban District]] was the unit of local government between 1921 and 1974, when the area was incorporated into the new [[City of Doncaster|Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster]].

===Kilner connection===

In 1863, the [[Kilner jar|Kilner]] company opened a glass-making plant in Conisbrough.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kilner Brothers|publisher=Grace's Guide|accessdate= 4 February 2017|url= http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Kilner_Brothers}}</ref> "The bottles made at Conisbrough are chiefly mineral water, spice, confectionery, wine and spirits, pickle, medicine, and chemists. and druggists bottles of all descriptions."<ref>{{cite web|title=Messrs. Kilner Brothers Jubilee: 50 Years in the Glass Bottle Trade|access-date= 4 February 2017 |url= http://conisbroughanddenabyhistory.org.uk/article/kilners-jubilee/}}</ref> In 1866, Caleb Kilner was sent to manage it, along with his cousin Kilner Bateson.<ref>Death of Caleb Kilner – Business Genius. ''Mexborough Times''. 5 March 1920.</ref> In 1937, the Kilner company went bankrupt. Rights to the Kilner Jar product line were sold to the [[United Glass Bottle Manufacturers]] in the same year.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 October 2006 |title=The Brothers Five : Kilner Brothers - Providence Bottle Works |url=http://www.brothersfive.ca/sb_kilner_brothers.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003050146/http://brothersfive.ca/sb_kilner_brothers.html |archive-date=3 October 2018 |access-date=4 February 2017 |work=Dewsbury Reporter |location=Yorkshire}}</ref>

===Literature===

[[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] wrote about the town, claiming that it had been fortified by [[Ambrosius Aurelianus]], King of the Britons after his victory over the Anglo-Saxon forces of [[Hengist]],<ref>Historia Regum Britanniae viii, 7</ref> that the captive Anglo-Saxon leader Hengist was hacked to pieces by [[Eldol, Consul of Gloucester|Eldol]] outside the town walls, and was buried at "Hengist's Mound" in the town.

In [[Sir Walter Scott|Walter Scott]]'s novel ''[[Ivanhoe]]'', 'Coningsburgh Castle' is based on Conisbrough.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ferns |first1=J. L. |title=Walking in South Yorkshire |date=1972 |publisher=Dalesman |location=Clapham |isbn=0852061579 |page=54}}</ref>  Scott's Coningsburgh is an Anglo-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.<ref name="REEVE">{{cite book |last1=Reeve |first1=Elizabeth |title=River Don |date=2015 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |location=Stroud |isbn=9781445638683 |page=54}}</ref>

===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 it failed to attract the expected number of visitors.<ref name="REEVE"/> A leisure centre has been built on the site of the former Denaby Main Colliery. In the 2008 drama ''[[Survivors (2008 TV series)|Survivors]]'', the Earth centre was used as the place Abby was shot and taken in.

===Sporting links===

It has also been a host to the [[Olympic Torch Relay|Olympic torch relay]] for the [[2012 London Olympics]].<ref name="Olympic fever to hit Conisbrough">{{Cite web|title = Olympic fever to hit Conisbrough|url = http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/news/local/olympic-fever-to-hit-conisbrough-1-4678896|website = www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk|access-date = 13 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064238/http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/news/local/olympic-fever-to-hit-conisbrough-1-4678896|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Yorkshire saw the [[Grand Départ]] for the [[Tour de France]]<ref>{{Cite web|title = Grand Départ 2014 - Yorkshire|url = http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/grand-depart.html|website = Tour de France 2014|access-date = 13 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094009/http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/grand-depart.html|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status = dead|df = dmy-all}}</ref> in 2014. After this, Yorkshire hosted [[Le Tour de Yorkshire]]. In 2016 the tour came through Conisbrough, passing the famous castle on its way to Doncaster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://letour.yorkshire.com/tour-de-yorkshire-2020/mens-race/stage-2/|title=Stage 2 - Skipton to Leyburn, 124.5KM - Tour de Yorkshire - 30 April - 3 May 2020|first=Pete|last=Wilson|website=Tour de Yorkshire}}</ref>