A major part of Salvin's work was to restore, refit and create castles. In 1835 he refaced Norwich Castle, in 1844 he repaired the ruins of Newark Castle and in 1845 he repaired the ruins of Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight. In the early 1840s the Queen's Gate of Caernarvon Castle collapsed, and in 1844 Salvin repaired it and rebuilt some of the other masonry of the castle. He also restored Naworth Castle in Cumbria after it was damaged by a fire on 18May 1844.