Lord Chaworth supported Charles I of England and in December 1642 fortified Wiverton Hall to make it a garrison for the King.

In June 1643, Queen Henrietta, on her way from Newark, wrote to the King: "I shall sleep at Werton [Wiverton], and thence to Ashby, where we will resolve what way to take."

It was from Wiverton that Prince Rupert addressed a letter to the Parliament, successfully asking for a pass for himself, his brother, and other noblemen and gentlemen to leave England.

On 4 November 1645, the garrison commanded by Lord Chaworth surrendered to troops under Major-General Sydnam Poyntz.

[5] In its restored form the mansion remained the property of the Chaworths until the family became extinct in the direct male line.