The castle ceased to be a royal residence in the Tudor period and it was leased from the Crown by Francis Carter in the reign of James I. A Parliamentary survey in 1650 noted that the keep was still habitable, although the associated outbuildings are thought to have been ruinous by this time. In 1885, the borough purchased the castle grounds and opened them to the public three years later.
The castle ceased to be a royal residence in the Tudor period and it was leased from the Crown by Francis Carter in the reign of James I. A Parliamentary survey in 1650 noted that the keep was still habitable, although the associated outbuildings are thought to have been ruinous by this time. In 1885, the borough purchased the castle grounds and opened them to the public three years later.