Leeds Castle
Kent
Kent had been an interesting experience and had been full of amazing trips to castles, dining at local restaurants and cooking at home. We had had a mix of days where the weather had been exceptional and we had spent the entire day outside, going to cafes, picking up some shopping, doing some Pokémon Go and learning more about the area, then there were other days where the weather had been abysmal. Those abysmal days were nice in the sense that we had a lot of time to have some great discussions, relax on the comfortable couch, eat some snacks, watch some TV shows and movies and watch the dark, grey world pass us by through the huge windows.
The evenings were nice as we often would go for a walk to try and see some stars and enjoy the evening air. On one of these evenings we decided that, come rain or shine, we would head over to Leeds Castle the following day.
Leeds Castle
Our day started with the incredible sound of singing birds wafting in through our windows as we cooked sausage sandwiches, ready for the day ahead. We made our way outside, as planned, to head to Leeds castle. We hopped in the car and off we drove. I was personally quite excited about travelling to Leeds Castle as I had been there as a child with my parents.
1. The gardens were beautiful and incredibly sunny!
As we arrived at the Castle, we were met by the stunning beauty of the gardens, with its numerous ornaments, gravel walkways and flowing streams and ponds. We passed through the visitor centre to buy our tickets and pick up a booklet on the castle. The tickets were reasonably-priced so it is definitely worth a visit!
The sun’s rays glistened and sparkled silently on the flowing water in the ponds and streams that ran their way through the grounds. The blue skies illuminated the world in an almost ethereal way as we strolled through the gardens, almost inspired by the beauty of what lay before us. The old stone castle, which has undergone many refurbishments throughout its history, is complemented by the superbly well-kept lawns, ornamental water features and professionally maintained horticultural exhibits scattered everywhere. The vibrant colours of the flowers seemed to radiate with their own life, but maybe that’s just me remembering my own past experiences from the castle when I had visited there as a child just under twenty years prior.
2. The beautiful gardens where it is easy for kids, an even some adults, to hide and play games.
The castle itself is rich in history, although the main tour and exhibits of the castle focuses on the life of Olive, Lady Baillie, who was a prestigious and wealthy Anglo-American heiress and landowner. She owned Leeds Castle and bequeathed it to a charitable trust upon her death. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of this focus, but there were still many incredibly areas to explore and sights to see. On their website, which can be accessed here, there are virtual tours that you can take of the Castle, the Maiden's Tower and a General Tour. These tours are primarily aimed at people who are wishing to book the location for a wedding, but it still provides a clear insight into the beauty of the castle and gives a glimpse into what life was like there many years ago.
The sprawling gardens stretch across 500 acres and are filled with a variety of ponds, streams and beautiful views, a flurry of exotic wildlife and fun attractions and activities for families to enjoy, including seeing animals, completing a hedge maze and running back through underground tunnels as well as falconry shows. The gardens are exceptionally well-maintained and are guaranteed to bring you back again and again to visit.
Brief History
Leeds Castle was built on a small island in the middle of a lake and was actually listed in the Domesday Book, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, a mere 20 years after the famous Battle of Hastings, during which he defeated King Harold Godwinson and became the King of the land. It is listed in the Domesday book as a Saxon manor, although it has undergone many changes and played many different roles throughout its long, bloody and dangerous history.
In the time of William the Conqueror, many castles were actually made of timber as it was easy to source and easy to maintain. As time passed, the Norman conquerors tried to assimilate partially into the existing English culture as well as encourage the English settlers to try and assimilate into their Norman culture. However, this was largely unsuccessful and led to William having to introduce some very harsh measures to sustain and ensure his rule throughout the land. One of the measures that he introduced and followed his death by his successor, his son Henry I, was building stone castles. Building stone castles in the eleventh century presented a plethora of logistical and financial issues. However, the benefits that it brought were immense, so it was a worthwhile venture. Whilst the stones for the castle were not only difficult to locate, difficult to transport and expensive to build with, they enabled a king to reside with impunity over the land, especially over anyone within eyesight of the castle. They became a force to be reckoned with. As the years passed, people began to build, and develop, stone castles across the land to show off their wealth.
Marc Morris states in his book, ‘Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain’ that the ‘great castle-building kings of the twelfth century are the two Henrys.’ (p. 57) While Leeds Castle was not the first stone castle to be built, with that claim being taken by the White Tower in 1078 (Tower of London), quickly followed by the reinforcing of Colchester Castle and construction of Rochester Castle, it was one of those castles that had exceptional grounds, lawns and remained a royal residence and a private home for the next 300 years. According to the Leeds Castle handbook, ‘[i]t 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.’ (page 7)
In 1090, William granted the manor to his cousin, Hamo de Crèvecoeur. In 1119, his grandson, Robert, began building the first stone fortification. It was later besieged in 1139 by Stephen of Blois, who became king after the death of Henry I. However, the family soon regained control of Leeds and continued building randomly throughout the twelfth century. The next few centuries saw the castle being periodically besieged by a few rich and politically powerful families. Throughout this time, the castle and homes were resided in by six medieval queens, including Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII was also instrumental in financially restoring many of the historic castles throughout the land, returning many of them to their former glory.
The next few centuries saw the home changing hands frequently and sometimes forcefully, but eventually settled into the hands of Olive, Lady Baillie in the twentieth century. The castle and home became a place of many parties and soirees, frequented by the politically powerful and financially influential.
3. One of the many exquisitely decorated rooms.
Back to the castle
The New Castle was, according to the Leeds Castle handbook, built in the early 19th century, replacing many of the older buildings that stood on that site. The interiors are exquisite in their appearance and upkeep, and are a reflection of the wealth and culture that had been invested in their development. A considerable amount of renovations and remodelling took place in the early 1930s under the ownership of Lady Baillie, which is what is visible today. (Leeds Castle handbook, p.31)
4. The New Castle, standing resplendent in front of the well-kept lawns.
The castle is surrounded by beautiful views of the lake and wildlife. The views through the windows are simply magical and reflect the inner beauty of the ancient home. The tour of the home, as previously mentioned, focuses on the life of Lady Baillie, with only a small portion sharing the history of the castle, including renovations by King Henry VIII. However, the rooms on the tour are enormous, lavishly decorated and provide a snapshot into the lives of those who lived there so very long ago. Certain areas of the home share information about different periods, and some of the rooms contain original materials, whereas many areas have undergone lots of renovations.
5. The local birds enjoying the water.
The castle held special importance for me as I was able to experience this castle with my wife, Vera, who had grown accustomed to my fascination with these kinds of places. She enjoys seeing these locations and likes learning more about the UK’s history. As a child, my parents took us to numerous ancient castles and state homes so that we could learn more about the world and expand our horizons. I think that this has stayed with me as I now really enjoy visiting them! I remembered the layout of the castle and grounds well and we all enjoyed exploring them.
6. Another well-maintained area of the estate.
As we sat, bathed in the warmth of the exquisite summer sun, eating our ice creams and reminiscing on the day’s travels about the castle, we all agreed that the weather was gorgeous and that the visit had definitely been worth it. Alex had enjoyed visiting the home and learning about Lady Baillie, Vera had enjoyed seeing the different rooms and seeing how they were furnished and learning about the different types of architecture, whereas I had enjoyed spending time with Alex and Vera and having an opportunity to revisit a location from my childhood.
7. My younger brother and I at Leeds Castle as kids.
We ended our day by visiting the huge hedge maze and play areas to the north west of the castle and exploring it all together. There were many visitors there that day and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. The evening had begun to fall upon us as we headed back to the car and we felt tired but happy about the events of the day.
We drove back and spent the evening watching some TV and listening as the birds sang outside and looking at the few stars the littered the cloudless, black sky, providing a wonderful end to a wonderful day.
By Kyle P
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