Castle project aims to bring site to life for young people

A castle has stood in Conisbrough for almost 1,000 years and the current building, one of just a few Norman castles left in the UK, is over 800 years old.

Pupils from the town’s De Warenne Academy, which was named after a family which once lived the castle, worked on their displays with the help of English Heritage, which now runs the site.

A English heritage spokesman said: “Students have been concentrating on interpreting the castle’s history in ways which they feel will be appealing to young people.

“In so doing have been contributing their ideas regarding how they would like to see the castle interpreted in the future to proposals currently being prepared for the site.

Doncaster Council and English Heritage are currently working in partnership on a project to improve access to the castle.

It is hoped that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will provide a grant after the project passed the first stage of the HLF funding process last year.

De Warenne Academy principal Gill Pollard said: “This has been a fantastic experience for our students and has sparked a real interest in the field of archaeology.

“They have worked hard and the exhibition panels they have produced are very impressive”.

Residents wishing to find out more about the grant proposals, or say what they would like to see on offer at the castle, should contact Community Project Officer Sarah Hughes on 07788 918294.