New Castle County, Delaware state by area. It has more people than the other two counties, Kent and Sussex, combined. It is also the most economically developed of the three. Matt Meyer was elected New Castle County Executive in 2016. New Castle County is home to two minor league sports teams: the Wilmington Blue Rocks (baseball) and the Delaware Blue Coats (basketball) which also plays in Wilmington. It also has a professional auto racing track in New Castle known as Airport Speedway, which races on Saturday nights throughout the summer. The first permanent European settlement on Delaware soil was Fort Christina, resulting from Peter
Hever Castle during which time it was leased to various private tenants. In 1903, it was acquired and restored by the American millionaire William Waldorf Astor, who used it as a family residence. He added the Italian Garden to display his collection of statuary and ornaments. In 1983, the Astor family sold the castle to Broadland Properties Limited, which is run by the Guthrie family. Hever Castle is now a tourist attraction, drawing on its links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, its mazes, gardens and lake. There is an annual events programme with assorted events, including jousting tournaments and archery displays