recaptured in February 1643. In early August 1645, a New Model Army force under Sir Thomas Fairfax laid siege to the castle, then occupied by a Royalist garrison commanded by Sir Lewis Dyve. Following heavy bombardment and mining, Dyve surrendered the Castle on 17 August 1645. The castle was slighted in October 1645 and left in ruins. New castle The name "Sherborne Castle" was then applied to the new house, though today the term Sherborne New Castle is generally used to refer to it, in the same manner as "Sherborne Old Castle" is used for the ruins. Through the early and mid-18th century William, 5th Lord Digby, who laid out the grounds praised by Alexander Pope, and his heirs Edward, 6th Lord Digby, who inherited in 1752, and Henry, 7th Lord, created Earl Digby, laid out the present castle gardens. Features include the 1753 lake designed by Capability Brown, which separates the old and new castles. The ruins of the old castle are part of the gardens, being conspicuous amongst the trees across the lake. King George III visited the house and gardens in 1789, shortly before awarding Henry Digby with a peerage. When Edward, 2nd and last Earl Digby, died in 1856 the house was passed to the Wingfield Digby family, who still own the house. The house was modernised by the architect Philip Charles Hardwick. In the First World War the house was used by the Red Cross as a hospital and in the Second World War as the headquarters for the commandos involved in the D-Day landings. Listings The newer house and the ruins of the old castle were designated as Grade I listed in 1951. Three outbuildings of the house, built in ashlar and stone, are Grade II* listed: the stables (1759, extended early 19th century); the greenhouse (c. 1779); and the dairy (late 18th century). The gardens are Grade I listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Today The gardens are open to the public much of the year, and the house is open to the public most Saturdays. The estate often hosts special events, such as concerts and firework displays. The old castle was leased by English Heritage and is now separate from the rest of the estate. See also Castles in Great Britain and Ireland List of castles in England Notes References Stroud, Dorothy (1975) [1950]. Capability Brown; 2nd revised