newton house was originally built during the medieval period at some distance from the castle. it is documented to have been later modified in 1595 and 1603. the current newton house was completed in 1660 under the command of edward rice. in the late 1700s, george rice and his wife cecil began the construction of a landscape garden, and hired eminent architect capability brown in 1775 to assume responsibility for the development. turrets and battlements were added between 1760 and 1780, giving the property a more romanticised appearance. during the rebecca riots of 1843, colonel george rice was awoken one night in september and found an empty grave dug in the grounds, warning him that he would be buried in it by october 10.