Doncaster Hotels - Smooth Hound Hotel Directory

Doncaster, South Yorkshire is a popular tourist location, offering much to see and do. The largest leisure spot in the South Yorkshire area is the Doncaster Dome. Visitors who happen to enjoy shopping will most certainly want to visit the Frenchgate Shopping Centre. It is located right in the centre of Doncaster and has been recently refurbished. There is also another shopping area, which is an outlet center, located just ten minutes from Doncaster and can easily be reached via the Lakeside bus. With a number of restaurants, shops, pubs and hotels in Doncaster, this is the perfect place to come to relax and unwind.

If you ever happen to find yourself in Doncaster then make sure you take a visit to the memorable and highly unique Conisbrough Castle. An imposing building, its glorious architecture is only surpassed by the rich and eventful history that the castle has endured in its lifetime. Constructed circa the 12th century, Conisbrough Castle predates the Norman Conquest, and was built using magnesium limestone, truly making it a one of a kind castle throughout the whole of England.

Whilst Conisbrough Castle was repaired in 1995 in order to restore it to a state safe enough to sustain the heavy foot traffic such a remarkable land mark would no doubt attract, historical records indicate that around the mid 16th century, Royal Surveyors acting on behalf of King Henry the 8th noted that the castle had suffered rot and decay to a severe extent and that urgent repairs were needed. Sadly, these vital repairs were not conducted until some 400 years later, although we should be thankful that what remained of the castle still did, as for many monarchs it was a relic of a humiliating defeat suffered by their ancestors.

In a remarkable twist of irony, it was the dreadful state of dilapidation that the castle had fallen into that managed to secure its survival, as because the site offered no real military or strategic value, it was overlooked by warring factions. Historical accounts indicate that during this volatile time, had the castle stood as it previously had, it would have been destroyed completely.