. ▁Despite ▁this , ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁records ▁of ▁building ▁work ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 5 th   century ▁and ▁almost ▁nothing ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁Ro chester ▁Castle ▁between ▁then ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th   century . ▁The ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁military ▁significance ▁is ▁marked ▁by ▁the ▁le asing ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁d itch , ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 4 ▁at ▁the ▁latest . ▁Between ▁ 1 5 9 9 ▁and ▁ 1 6 0 1 ▁stone ▁from ▁Ro chester ▁Castle ▁was ▁re used ▁to ▁build ▁nearby ▁Up nor ▁Castle , ▁an ▁art illery ▁fort . ▁ ▁D iar ist ▁Samuel ▁P ep ys ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁of ▁Ro chester ▁Castle , ▁and ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 7 th   century ▁the ▁castle ▁may ▁have ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁tour ist ▁att raction . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁many ▁cast les ▁were ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁ru in , ▁and ▁Ro chester ▁was ▁amongst ▁those ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁repair , ▁although ▁still ▁in ▁use . ▁In ▁ 1 6 1 0 ▁James   I ▁granted ▁Sir ▁Anthony ▁W eld on ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁castle . ▁During ▁the ▁English ▁Civil ▁War , ▁W eld on ▁declared ▁for ▁the ▁Parliament arian ▁cause . ▁The ▁castle ▁did ▁not ▁see ▁fighting ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁even ▁when ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁Royal ists ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 8 ; ▁this ▁may ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁service able ▁fort ification