Leeds Castle has been called “the loveliest castle in the world” so you really have to visit! It is in a beautiful location on two islands in the Kent countryside.
Visiting Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle is just a fantastic place to visit. There is a huge amount to do on the site and you can easily spend a day, or a weekend, there. As well as the castle there is a children’s adventure playground, mini golf, falconry, Go Ape, Segway tours, punting on the lake, the gardens, a maze and plenty of eating opportunities. There are also various options to stay on site overnight.
My Experience
We were actually working nearby so used the opportunity to stay on the site itself in one of the Stable Courtyard rooms. As we were working we didn’t get a huge amount of time in the castle and it was a pretty dismal day. A wedding was taking place in the castle courtyard when we were walking around so we avoided that area.
The gardens and setting were just glorious and staying overnight meant we were not rushed so we could actually wander and enjoy the peace when most of the day visitors had left.
I then revisited in 2024 and again stayed overnight, allowing me plenty of time to both visit the interior rooms and walk around the exterior of the castle as well as see the falconry display. The interior was largely focused on the castle as a 1920’s social retreat for Lady Baille, the woman who bought and restored the castle to its current state. There was also an AV display on the various queens that had lived in the castle but I’d have liked to have seen more on the castle history as a whole.
Leeds Castle Photo Gallery
History
Leeds Castle in Kent, England, has been called the “loveliest castle in the world”. Listed in the Domesday Book, this castle has been a Norman stronghold, a royal residence and a royal palace. It’s situation is stunning, set on two islands in a magnificent lake.
The Royal Manor was originally built in 857AD and owned by a Saxon royal family. After the Norman Conquest, work began on building the first stone castle on the site.
In 1278 the Castle became a royal palace for Edward I and his Queen, Eleanor of Castile. Major improvements were made to the castle during the reign of Edward I. The Barbican, constructed during this time, is unique in that it is made up of three parts, each having its own entrance, drawbridge, gateway and portcullis. The medieval Keep, incorporating the Great Hall, is called the Gloriette, in honour of Queen Eleanor.
In 1321, King Edward II gave the castle to his Royal Steward. When Edwards’ Queen Isabella arrived at the Castle seeking shelter however, she was refused admission and even fired upon by archers. Edward II was not amused and successfully lay siege to the castle. Six years later Edward was murdered but Queen Isabella kept the castle until she died in 1358.
During its lifetime, the castle has been home to six medieval queens – Eleanor, Isabella, Philippa of Hainhault (wife of Edward III), Joan of Navarre, Catherine de Valois and Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth I was imprisoned here for a time before her coronation. Leeds Castle is often referred to as the “Castle of Queens, Queen of Castles”.
Perhaps the Castle’s most famous owner was King Henry VIII, who transformed the castle for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The stunning painting of the ‘Field of the Cloth of Gold’, which commemorates the meeting between King Henry VIII and the French King Francis I in 1520, hangs here at Leeds Castle.
Purchased by the Culpeper family the castle avoided destruction during the English Civil War as the Culpeper family sided with the Parliamentarians. Later the castle was used to house French and Dutch prisoners of war.
The last owner of Leeds Castle was the indomitable Lady Baillie who bought the castle in 1926 and employed French interior designers to transform her new home. She dedicated most of her life to the improvement of the castle and was responsible for setting up the Leeds Castle Foundation. The castle was opened to the public in 1976.
References
Leeds Castle site, with plenty of information of what to see on your visit, is here.
The Wiki site, with a detailed history, is here.
The history above is copied from the Historic UK site here.