Leeds Castle is in Kent, England, 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Maidstone. The castle today dates mostly from the 19th century and is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds.
Looking further afield from London for touristy things to do, I came across an awesome medieval castle, Leeds Castle. Timeout says - A picturesque Norman castle set on two islands in the middle of a lake with 500 acres of beautifully kept grounds to picnic in when you’ve exhausted the medieval furnishings, paintings and tapestries – and the collection of antique dog collars.
How does one get here from London? It's not that difficult from London, you essentially have three options (stations in London to choose from), St Pancras International, Victoria and London Bridge. My sister and I ended up choosing St Pancras International, since that was the most direct one to get to from where we staying at her flat. As you can see from the picture of the ticket below, it's slightly pricey, and this is after we got a discount. Once there at Bearsted station (what an awesome sounding name huh?), you have a look around and ask a station attendant where the coaches/ bus/ taxi service is to Leeds Castle. I should mention that since this is a tourist site, (Leeds Castle), I ended up paying 20 pounds for a return journey for the two of us, (it was like a 15 minute journey one way).
The pictures I was able to take do not do justice as to how gorgeous it is. It is something, one has to experience in person.
 |
| Here's me, looking utterly pleased with myself. |
So on top of their being this fabulous castle to stroll around and admire the centuries old building inside and out, there's also
- A gatehouse exhibition
- Dog Collar Museum (this was fascinating)
- a battle for the skies exhibition (couldn't figure out the relevance to Leeds Castle)
- Knights' Realm Playground (for Kids)
- Squires’ Court Playground (also for Kids)
- The Maze (for adults as well as kids - I love mazes, this one had a curious ending)
- The Culpeper Gardens (flowers galore)
- The Wood Garden (you didn't realize walking in from the entrance that it was actually a garden, but it had plenty wildlife (birds) to accompany you)
- The Lady Baillie Mediterranean Garden Terrace (didn't care much for this part of the visit, it was strangely laid out)
- Bird of Prey Centre
- Falconry Displays
- Falconry Experiences (it was too windy and drizzly when the time came around for this, I was so disappointed they couldn't have it the day I went)
- Punting on the Moat
- Elsie the Castle Train (it's a short ride from the entrance to the castle and back, I didn't see the point going on it, but it's just for tourists 😀
- Black Swan Ferry
- Segway Tours (sadly it didn't have any the day I went)
- Go Ape Tree Top Adventure (I didn't realize this existed until the day after I went, so I missed out)
There is also several other one off events during the year, have a peek at their What's On before planning your trip.
The Castle
Leeds Castle has been a Norman stronghold; the private property of six of England’s medieval queens; a palace used by Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon; a Jacobean country house; a Georgian mansion; an elegant early 20th century retreat for the influential and famous; and in the 21st century, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain.
The first stone castle was built in 1119 by a Norman baron during the reign of William the Conqueror’s son Henry I, on an island in the River Len. In 1278, a century and a half later, it came into the possession of Queen Eleanor of Castile, first wife of Edward I.
For the next 300 years the castle remained a royal residence, before again becoming a private home. This in turn was handed down over four centuries, by both inheritance and purchase, through a network of interlinked families.
You can discover the fascinating history of the Hon. Olive, Lady Baillie, the last private owner of the castle; a wealthy Anglo-American heiress who acquired Leeds Castle in 1926 when it was sold to pay death duties.
Today, the influence of Lady Baillie continues to bring the state rooms to life while visitors can see the effect of Medieval and Tudor periods in many of the other Castle rooms.
 |
| Picture of the station sign which advertises Leeds Castle. |
 |
| Had to take a picture of the tickets, as they are taken by the ticket barriers to pass through. |
 |
| A very upset looking bird. Hopefully I didn't piss it off. |
 |
| Who knew there were so many different types of dog collars? One of the more fascinating exhibits for me, since I love dogs of course. |
 |
| Oh yes, on top of all of these things, it makes for an unbelievably fabulous wedding location, who wouldn't want to get married in a castle? Well for minimum of 8,250 pounds it makes for a steep ask, but it'll make for great memories. Got this picture from Leeds Castle Website. |
Leeds castle has a brilliantly detailed website - Website which lists out every conceivable thing you can do and see.
As with all the tourist locations in England, there is a few eating places as well as the mandatory souvenir shop for all your tourist collectibles. I'll admit I bought quite a few things here, as it was really interesting stuff.
All in all, it was an extremely interesting day out, only slightly marred by the usual English weather, (unfortunate for the two of us).
Price
Adults £24.90
Senior Citizen/Student £21.90
Child (4-15 years) £16.90
Visitor with Disability - Adult* £21.90
Visitor with Disability - Child (4-15 years)* £13.90
Infant (under 4 years) FREE
 |
| Important opening times! |
No comments:
Post a Comment