century ▁saw ▁efforts ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁castle . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 6 ▁rep airs ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁well ▁in ▁the ▁keep . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁a ▁survey ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁A . ▁W . ▁N . ▁P ugin ▁and ▁he ▁exc av ated ▁around ▁the ▁keep , ▁investig ating ▁how ▁it ▁was ▁built . ▁He ▁desc ended ▁into ▁the ▁well ▁in ▁a ▁bucket ▁in ▁an ▁un success ful ▁search ▁for ▁tre asure . ▁Victor ▁Child ▁Vill iers , ▁ 7 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁Jersey , ▁le ased ▁the ▁castle ▁to ▁the ▁Corporation ▁of ▁Ro chester ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁park ; ▁when ▁it ▁opened ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁Ro chester ▁Castle ▁was ▁presented ▁as ▁a ▁pictures que ▁ru in , ▁with ▁trees ▁plant ed ▁in ▁the ▁en closure ▁and ▁the ▁walls ▁over g rown ▁with ▁iv y . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁the ▁Corporation ▁bought ▁the ▁castle ▁for ▁£ 6 , 5 7 2 ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁£ 3 . 4   mill ion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁terms ). ▁Between ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁George ▁Pay ne ▁carried ▁out ▁rep airs . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁the ▁gard ens ▁acquired ▁a ▁German ▁field ▁gun , ▁a ▁tank ▁from ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁and ▁a ▁band stand ; ▁these ▁were ▁removed ▁by ▁ 1 9 6 1 .