1957 Bower was convicted of attempted murder of his mistress, whom he shot, and attempted suicide and sentenced to life imprisonment. Released in 1962 after successful efforts by solicitor Ruth Eldridge to prove a miscarriage of justice, Bower returned to Chiddingstone Castle which, with the help of Eldridge and her sister Mary, he continued to open to visitors until his death in 1977. Today Bower left the castle and his collection to the nation and so upon his death the Denys Eyre Bower Bequest was formed. This trust continues to care for the castle and its collection, opening it to the public and providing a venue for weddings, and the current trustees include descendants of the Streatfeild family. The castle is a Grade II* listed building and the grounds, which contain further listed buildings including an orangery, are themselves included on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. The Castle is an accredited museum, contains a tea-room serving refreshments and hosts a variety of events and activities throughout the year. Fishing The Castle lake measures around 3.5 hectares. It divides the village of Chiddingstone from the grounds of Chiddingstone Castle. It is naturally stocked with wild Carp, Bream and Perch. It held the record for the largest Bream for 37 years, from 1945. Collections Japanese Bower's decision to collect objects from Japan was inspired by his father's own interest in Chinese porcelain. The collection of lacquer is considered to be one of the most important in a private collection, whilst displays at the castle also feature swords, armour and haniwa figures. Ancient Egyptian The Ancient Egyptian collection spans the whole history of the civilisation and includes both grave goods, such as ushabti figures and amulets, and items from everyday life, including food and drink vessels. In 2013, items from the collection were lent to the Houston Museum of Natural Science for display in their Hall of Ancient Egypt. Stuart and Jacobite In British history, Bower was most interested in the House of Stuart and Jacobitism and was a member of the Royal Stuart Society. His collecting in this area included portraits of members of the House of Stuart, swords, objects with hidden Jacobite symbols and royal manuscripts. There is an extensive collection of antique books on the subject in the library, on display at the Castle. Buddhist As with other areas of his collecting, Bower's interest in objects relating