on st george's day in 1684 at around 10 pm, an explosion in the magazine destroyed the interior of clifford's tower entirely. the official explanation was that the celebratory salute from the guns on the roof had set fire to parts of the woodwork, which later ignited the magazine. most historians, however, believe the explosion was not accidental. at the time, it was common in the city to toast the potential demolition of the "minced pie", as the castle was known to locals; suspiciously, some members of the garrison had moved their personal belongings to safety just before the explosion, and no-one from the garrison was injured by the event. the heat of the fire turned the limestone of the tower to its current, slightly pink, colour. the now-ruined tower was returned fully to private ownership, eventually forming part of the lands of the neighbouring house and gardens belonging to samuel waud.