The Poet and the Castle

Conisbrough Castle Bk 6

Conisbrough Castle is associated with a glittering array of kings, crusaders and knights, yet in the 1530’s it was linked with another man who was famous for a very different reason—Thomas Wyatt, the poet (1503-1542). Wyatt was made Constable of Conisbrough Castle in 1536, and soon after, found himself having to hold the castle against the army of the Pilgrimage of Grace. Unfortunately for Wyatt, the army consisted of over 40,000 men. Most of the main events in my story actually happened, though Conisbrough Castle was never invested by the Pilgrims. However, it was provided with a large garrison and artillery as a precaution, and there can be little doubt that its threatening presence played a part in defeating the pilgrimage. This story also touches on Wyatt's love affair with Anne Boleyn, as well as the romantic aspirations of a poor gawk of a lad, a fictional character called Harry.