During the Civil War the family supported King Charles with the then owner of Baconsthorpe, John Heydon, acting as an artillery commander for the Royalist army. Their involvement led to the seizure of their estates in the aftermath of the war and a requirement to buy back the castle in 1657. This severely undermined the family’s wealth and parts of the castle were demolished in order to sell the building materials. The outer Gatehouse was converted into a separate dwelling known as Baconsthorpe Hall which was occupied until 1920.

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