king john gave the castle to a powerful royal official, hubert de burgh, in 1201. over the next few decades, it passed back and forth between several owners, as hubert, the rival de braose family, and the crown took control of the property. during this period, white castle was substantially rebuilt, with stone curtain walls, mural towers and gatehouses, forming what the historian paul remfry considers to be "a masterpiece of military engineering". in 1267 it was granted to edmund, the earl of lancaster, and remained in the hands of the earldom, and later duchy, of lancaster until 1825.