The castle and manor then passed to George, Duke of Clarence, who in 1475 gave it to Tewkesbury Abbey, who returned it to the crown in 1495.

His grandson John Whorwood was probably neutral in the Civil War, but the castle was taken and briefly held by the brother of Colonel Tinker Fox in 1644, and later surrendered to Sir Gilbert Gerard, the Governor of Worcester after he routed Fox's relief column in an action on Stourbridge Heath.

The property belonged to his descendants until the estate was broken up in 1913, the Foleys never lived in the castle however, choosing to reside at nearby Prestwood.

It lies a few hundred metres to the north of the crossroads at Stewponey, and is easily accessed by towpaths along both canals.

The Stewponey public house and Foley Arms Hotel stood at the centre of Stourton at the junction of the A449 and Stourbridge-bound A458, immediately adjacent to the locks and bridges.

By 1999, however, its owners had decided to sell it to property developers and it was demolished in 2001 to be redeveloped for executive private housing,[5] which has retained the name Stewponey.

[6] Other suggestions include it being a corruption of Stouri pons (Latin for "bridge of Stour"),[4] or that it derives from stepony.

The Inn gave its name, Stewponey or Stewpony, to the nearby locks and bridge on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, below Stourton Junction.

Beside them stand the Stewponey tollhouse, a brick structure of irregular octagonal plan,[7] which is painted white.

The entry to the towpath is still an important access point to the canal for walkers and there is parking immediately opposite for this purpose.