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In 1621 Cuthbert
Heron, George's brother, removed the old manor house and built a
beautiful Jacobean mansion, attaching it to the old Pele Tower.
Cuthbert soon became the High Sheriff of Northumberland. His
second son, also Cuthbert, was created a baronet by King Charles II, but
his financial problems followed his family, who eventually sold the
castle and its properties to a Newcastle merchant in 1727. John
Reed, a Newcastle banker, acquired the property in 1734, and it was he
who made the major alterations to the old tower. The family bank's
failure led Reed's descendents to sell the estate to the Greys of
Backworth, who in turn sold the property to Hugh Taylor in 1861.
The castle is currently associated with author Paul Torday, and the
gardens are routinely open to the public.
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