A Knight’s Stay at Leeds Castle in Kent

1 month ago 10

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love castles. I love learning about the history of the castles and being able to step inside and imagine what it was like in times gone by. We are lucky in Kent as we have a few castles to explore. Leeds Castle, I have to say, is stunning.

The grounds and the castle are just lovely and well worth a visit. We decided to stay overnight at the castle so we could make the most of our visit and loved that part of the deal was that we were allowed to explore the castle grounds after everyone else had gone home, which was really exciting.

We chose to stay in one of their new Lakeside Lodges and it was superb. Such a tranquil and stunning stay. I can honestly say it was the most relaxed I’ve felt for ages.

Leeds Castle is in East Kent, just southeast of Maidstone, not to be confused with Leeds in Yorkshire. The estate has been around since 1086. Since then it’s been reconstructed and rebuilt and now is one of Kent’s most glorious castles.

It stands on 990 acres of land and has farmland, lakes, rivers, playgrounds, a maze with an underground grotto, a birds of Prey centre, a train, a nine hole golf course, crazy golf, Go Ape, a cricket club and lots of different and varied accommodation, if you would like to stay there.

Lakeside Lodges

We decided to stay in one of the four, new Lakeside Lodges which sleep up to 2 people. They are contemporary in their look and are built to be naturally climate controlled. They look out onto a beautiful lake and they even have an outside bath with a view of the lake, where you can sit, soak and watch all the ducks swimming by.

We arrived at 3pm to check in ( you can arrive on site at 1pm to get your wristband to explore the castle). There was plenty of parking for those who are staying over. A short walk from the car park and we were shown our lodge.

The receptionist showed us how to use everything in the lodge. It has an automatic shutter over the large glass doors that open out across the lake. The door opens but there is safety glass so that you don’t fall in !!

There is also an enormous sky light window over the bed that you can open and that has shutters too. It was lovely to stargaze while lying in bed. There are also two more windows that you can open, so plenty of ventilation.

The bed was huge and so comfortable and the sheets were so soft. We were also provided with complimentary apple juice, water, crisps, chocolate, biscuits and tea and coffee. There was a small fridge too which was a lovely addition, especially on a hot day.

On the desk they had provided books, binoculars and even an umbrella in case it rains. They really had thought of everything.

The bathroom was so nicely done. a large walk in shower with a rainfall shower head and lovely toiletries to pamper yourself with. Outside the back door is an outside oval bath with a shower attachment and opposite a ledge to sit on. Bathrobes and slippers are provided, as is luxury bubble bath. We couldn’t wait to have a soak and it was lovely and private too.

Outside by the entrance are chairs and a table if you want to sit out and have a cuppa and watch the world go by.

I have to say it was so quiet and peaceful there and the lodges are spaced out so you have your own space. It was just so nice to watch the ducks and swans swimming about with their young and watching the flocks of geese fly by.

Out of all the places that we have stayed I would say this has definitely been my favourite and we will definitely be going back.

History of Leeds Castle

In the Domesday Survey of 1086, it was first mentioned by the name of the Manor of Esledes (the old English word for Leeds- meaning Slope or Hillside). The Manor was owned by the Bishop of Bayeux, who was the half brother of William the Conqueror. The estate was then passed to Hamo de Crevecoeur and his family for the next 175 years.

In 1119 Hamo’s grandson built a stone castle on the site. He built on the two rocky mounds that were on the River Len. He built a Keep and a Bailey. He linked the two islands with a drawbridge so that they would be protected if attacked.

From 1278-1290 the castle was owned by Queen Eleanor of Castile and she built up the castle.
1290-1299 King Edward I, inherited the castle and he improved the defences and added more homely features to the buildings.
1299-1318 Queen Margaret of France was in residence.
1318-1327 King Edward II gave the castle to his queen.
1327-1358 Queen Isabella was in residence.
1358-1377 King Edward III and then 1377-1395 was King Richard II. 1395-1403 it was Lady Joan de Mohun
1403-1422 Queen Joan of Navarre.
1422-1437 Queen Catherine de Valois, it then passed to King Henry VIII. He turned the castle into more of a palace.

The castle in the 17th Century passed to private owners who were responsible for the day to day maintenance and upkeep of the castle.

The most notable private owner was Lady Baillie who owned the castle from 1925. She made many alterations and made it into the castle that you see today. She was a great socialite and designed the castle for the entertainment of leading statesmen, European royalty and film stars. There was even a swimming pool with a wave machine and a cinema built while she was in residence.

During WWII the castle was used as a hospital and a rehabilitation centre for burned pilots. It was also used as a weapons research centre.

Lady Baille died in 1974 and the castle was left to the Leeds Castle Foundation which was a charity, so that the castle could be enjoyed by everyone.

Leeds Castle is now one of England’s most popular attractions and has over 600,000 visitors a year.

Tour of the Castle

We loved looking around the actual castle building. It was built into a country house retreat in the 1930’s by Lady Baille. You can discover all about the many residents of the castle and get a glimpse of her glamorous lifestyle.

Birds

Walking past the children’s play area and crazy golf you come to the birds of prey centre. It’s the home to a large variety of owls and Eagles. You can walk around and see all of the birds and watch the displays in the afternoon. All the birds have information signs near them telling you all about them.

It was originally an aviary that was built in 1980 with over 100 species of birds but was found to be too expensive to run so was turned into a birds of prey centre.

We really enjoyed seeing all the birds at the centre. They were magnificent. Sadly we didn’t get to see the displays as it was 35 degrees the day that we went and they didn’t want to fly the birds which was understandable.

Ferry

There’s a fantastic little ferry that can take you from one side of the lake to the other. It takes you from the entrance of the castle to all the activity areas such as the play area, crazy golf and maze.

The Black Swan Ferry Boat goes every 5 -10 minutes and gives you a lovely view of the side of the castle and the magnificent grounds. It’s just a few pounds each and you can just pay on board. We really enjoyed the boat trip. It chugs across the lake and you can see all the ducks and swans swimming around the boat. It was really idyllic.

Maze

It was hot when we went to Leeds Castle but we wanted to have a go at the maze. It’s got really high walls made up of 2,400 yew trees. It was first opened in 1988. In the middle of the maze is a stone structure that is high enough to let you look all around the maze and see where everyone is.

The maze is apparently designed in a square shape but appears to be round when viewed from above. The trees form the shape of a queen’s crown.

On entering the maze you suddenly get a real feeling of how vast and complicated the maze is. You can soon lose your bearings and there are so many twists and turns, it’s so easy to get lost.

We had great fun chatting to the other people going round in circles. Is it this way? Is that a dead end? Finally, when we’d lost all hope of finding the middle, we suddenly came across it !!

We climbed up and took our victory pictures and thankfully, after you have reached the middle, you don’t have to find your way out again as there are exit signs that lead you down to an underground grotto which was full of fun magical and spooky creatures and back out into the grounds again.

Golf at Leeds Castle

There’s adult golf and Adventure golf at Leeds Castle.

The castle themed Adventure Golf can be found by the maze and children’s playground and has 12 holes. It’s great fun for all the family and is fully accessible.

The main golf course has 9 holes. It was put in place by Lady Baille in 1931 who was very much a socialite. She loved hosting weekend parties and wanted to add a golf course for everyone’s entertainment. She stipulated that the course was to have no bunkers that you could see from the castle so as to not interrupt the skyline.

The golf course is known as being one of the finest 9 hole courses in England and is open to all, either membership or pay and play.

Dog Collar Museum

You will find this delightful museum at the stable yards, opposite the restaurant.

The collars go right back to the 15th Century and are all different designs and made out of different materials.

The museum grew after a donation in 1977 from Mrs Hunt who was a collector. After this many more have been bought or donated.

Accommodation

The castle has loads of accommodation from Glamping to a stay in the castle itself.

You can opt for Knights Glamping if you like sleeping out under the stars. They have 8 luxury pavilions that sleep up to 4 people. You have a four poster bed, a fire stove and fluffy throws. There’s also a fire pit for cooking. There are showers and washing facilities just a short walk away.

If you would like something a bit more upmarket you can stay in the castle itself. There are also new lakeside lodges to rent, that look out onto the lake and boast of an outside luxury bath.

There are also cottages to rent that are pet friendly.

There is also the option of staying in Battle Hall and the Oast holiday cottage. It has a dining room which can seat up to 14 guests with 5 bedrooms. Perfect for a full family getaway.

All stays include free entry to the castle and access to the grounds after the castle is closed to the public.

Restaurant

The Castle View restaurant is as it says. It’s a lovely beamed restaurant with breathtaking views of the castle and moat. The menu had lots of different choices and a children’s menu. The food was really well presented and very tasty and quickly served.

We were made to feel really welcome there and had a fantastic time. In the morning we went for breakfast and you could have all sorts of choices. Cereal, toast, continental breakfasts and a lovely buffet of cooked goodies if you fancy putting together your choice of a full English breakfast.

Conclusion

Of all the castles that we’ve been to visit I have to say that Leeds Castle is the prettiest. The grounds and the castle are simply stunning. It’s got everything for all ages and is inclusive too. We were so excited to stay over and roam around the grounds after the castle had shut to the public.

We had free entry to the grounds and the castle included in our stay and only had to pay a few pounds for the ferry ride. The accommodation was so lovely and we felt right at home and comfortable, we didn’t want to get up in the morning as the bed was so comfy.

We had biscuits, crisps, chocolates, water and tea and coffee in the rooms and a powerful fan, which was handy in the heat. The bathroom was modern and very clean and we had lovely toiletries too. We loved our meal in the restaurant and the breakfast was delicious. It really was a lovely stay and we will definitely be going back.

It is one of the most popular of the 57 heritage sites in England and I can see why. It’s even featured in Moonraker (James Bond) and Doctor Who (The Androids of Tara).