Leeds Castle (in Kent!)

On Sunday we visited what is billed as "the most beautiful castle in England" - Leeds Castle.

Despite the indication in the name it is located to the East in Kent. It’s about an hour and a half drive although this is via the M25 so can be variable. True to form we did have a hold up of about 20 minutes due congestion caused by an earlier accident.

We arrived at the castle at lunch time and headed straight for the picnic grounds towards the back of the venue. On the way we walked through beautifully maintained gardens and a duckery. James - full of energy - ran around and around. To our surprise we saw black swans. This is a first for the UK. We noticed their silhouette everywhere: from weather vanes, to embossing on drain pipes. Lady Baillie, the last resident, was very interested in exotic birds. She introduced the black swans to the castle together with an extensive Aviary.

Past the duckery we caught sight of the magnificent castle itself. Its located on a small island in the middle of a lake and is approached via a medieval Barbican. The castle itself is listed in the Doomsday Book and has been a Norman stronghold and a royal residence for six of England's medieval queens. It was a misty day (as I understand is common for Autumn) which I think only added to the view. I like to imagine how people saw the castle as it appeared out of the mist.

Continuing the walk to the picnic ground we passed through a cottage garden that still boasted flowering roses. James found a wheel barrow filled with pumpkins. He lifted a few of the smaller ones on to the path so he could sort them :)

As we approached the picnic ground we passed a falconry display. Although no doubt interested we decided to continue on to the now empty tables and play equipment. James played as we set out the sandwiches Merrilyn had made.

After lunch we made our way to the nearby maze. It was planted in 1998 with 2400 yew trees. There is a central mound (your target) that leads down into a grotto. Of course we got lost staight off the bat. Fortunately we had assistance from a couple that we up on the mound and could see us and the path we needed to take. Even then, we still managed a few wrong turns! Having reached the mound we descended into the grotto. This apparently represents the spirit of the castle and contains underworld creatures made from shells, and rocks. James loved it. Merrilyn couldn't wait to get out!

From there we headed to the castle itself. It is approached via the barbican and a stone bridge that provides access to the island castle. In its earlier history this would have been a wooden drawbridge. The castle itself was bequeathed to the Leeds Castle Foundation upon her death. There are many public rooms that are maintained just as she left them. One of my favourites was the Henry VIII banquet hall. It has an ebony floor and a magnificent stone fireplace. Although not a cold day by any means, the fires were lit. James showed me how he could stick his hand out and feel the warmth. (That will no doubt come in handy as winter kicks in!)

Another interest were some of the rare tapestries; some dating to the 16th century. A feature of this castle is that most items are fully accessible. So you can spend time looking at the details to get a real impression of what life must have been like.

By about 4pm we had walked just about every inch of the castle. James, as soon as he was outside, set off down the stone path pretending to be a train. Of course, a trip was inevitable, accompanied by the sound of his forehead hitting the ground. Not too much damage though - a bump as a souvenir :) James and Merrilyn took the car/train (4WD pulling a series of carriages) back to the car park whilst Lynne and I made our way back via the duckery and castle grounds.

It was a very enjoyable day. And our tickets remain valid for a year so I think we'll be back to explore the grounds and Aviary.

Photos are here. Well worth a peek!