James IV brought his cannon to Heaton, and a horse was killed pulling a gun into position.
[2] In 1541, Heaton Castle was described in a survey as "ruinous" but a later report identified "a vault that a hundred horses may stand in".
[citation needed] By 1550, the ruins had been adapted "to form bases for large bastle type building with stone vault".
[citation needed] In the 1580s, attempts at rebuilding and repair were made, but the project failed when the Grey family became involved in a dispute with the Crown concerning funding.
In 2011 the estate of Castle Heaton (with Shellacres) was offered for sale at an asking price of £11.5 million,[11] a record for recent years in the North East.