In 1940 the castle and house was bought by a shipping magnate His daughter, Barbara Wood, and her mother moved into Castle Green House but this slowly fell into disrepair and was allowed to decay further by the owner to the extent that the outer castle walls needed supporting. Miss Woods continued to occupy the castle for almost 60 years, despite attempts by the local authority to take over the castle in 1971 and Castle Green House being declared unfit for human habitation in 1984.