The castle on the death of Ambrose Dudley once more came into possession of the Crown, and remained so until 1605, when King James I. granted it to Sir Fulke Greville, who found the building fallen into a considerable state of ruin.
In 1621 Greville was created Baron Brooke, and a hundred and twenty–five years later Francis, the eighth baron, was made an earl. It is said that Sir Fulke Greville spent the then enormous sum of £30,000 in repairing and fitting up the castle, and he must also have incurred enormous expenses by his entertainment of James I. on four different occasions, namely, in the years 1617, 1619, 1621, and 1624.
On the first occasion on which the King visited Warwick he partook of a banquet in the Hall of Leicester’s Hospital, which event is commemorated by the following inscription, placed in that building:—
“MEMORANDUM THAT KING JAMES I. WAS RIGHT NOBLY ENTERTAINED AT A SUPPER IN THIS HALL BY THE HONOURABLE SIR FULK GREVILLE, CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, AND ONE OF HIS MAJESTY’S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL, UPON THE FOURTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER ANNO DOM. 1617. GOD SAVE THE KING.”
During the Civil Wars Robert Greville (Lord Brooke), Sir Fulke’s successor, espoused the Parliamentary cause, and the castle and inhabitants of Warwick heard, in consequence, more than an echo of those stirring times. In 1642 the place was besieged by the Royalists’ troops under the Earl of Northampton, in the absence of Lord Brooke. It was, however, vigorously defended by Sir Edward Peyto, who was left in charge. In the end, notwithstanding the fierce attack of the Royalists, after the siege had been sustained for a period of fourteen days, it was raised by Lord Brooke, who had defeated some of the Earl of Northampton’s troops at Southam, in the southern portion of Warwickshire.
Since those days the castle has remained the peaceful residence of the Greville family, who, in 1759, became Earls of Warwick on the extinction of the Rich family—who, till that date, possessed the title, although they were in no way connected with the old possessors of it, nor at any time owners of its estates.
The castle, which is situated at the south–east end of the town, quite close to the splendid bridge spanning the Avon, which many years ago replaced the old one, the ruins of which are about a quarter of a mile nearer the castle, stands on a fine rocky promontory of hard sandstone, of which material the castle itself is built. It has stood throughout the ages preserved in a truly wonderful manner.
Within the confines of the castle ramparts are pleasure–grounds of great beauty, and although nowadays the houses of the town approach the walls more nearly than in ancient times, they can detract little or nothing from the grandly beautiful building itself.
The main entrance is by the gate–house, which stands nearly opposite to the church of St. Nicholas. It was constructed in the first year of the nineteenth century on the site of an Elizabethan house, which belonged to an old Warwick family. In former times there were two other approaches to the castle—one situated on the north side at the end of Castle Street, and the other at the bottom of Mill Street, traces of which are still discernible. This drive leads to the outer court, which is known as the Vineyard, a title preserved since the fifteenth century, when vines really grew there in such numbers as to justify the employment of women for the purpose of gathering in the harvest of grapes.