I am trying to remember if I have ever been to Leeds Castle? I don't think I have until now, I don't know why, I guess because it practically on my doorstep and driven past it so many times you just put it off. Furthermore, I can now cross this off my list.
There are plenty of free parking spaces, but if they have an event, I guess it's chocker block. There is a short walk to the ticket office and gift shop, which is compulsory if you want to buy the odd trinket especially for the family member you probably hate just to say I have been to Leeds Castle.
The ticket will give you access for a whole year, as you just can't get one for a day unless it is an event going on. The basic ticket is £25, but you will have to pay for the land train (Elsie, name of it) and ferry every time you use it. You can upgrade to £33 freedom pass, which allows you to get on for free.
Everything else is extra, what a surprise! There are a lot of unhappy people as the cost shoot up if you have a family, especially ones with winey kids. If you don't live locally or just on a holiday you only want to visit once, the minimum price is still £25. Once you have your ticket, don't lose it.
There is about a fifteen-minute walk to the Castle, which is present strolling through a shady woodland area but be where the wildlife, many ducks and swans will try to ambush you as you try to go through as many people feed them, You can buy a bag of bird food (£1) at the shop at the entrance. The swans and ducks will make you look guilty if you don't feed them. I guess it's the equivalent of Robin Hood as you will be ambushed, and you will have to feed the poor fat wildlife.
Once you reach the Castle there are refreshments, loos a shop. I decided to go to the gardens first, there are basically two, a formal garden and Lady Baillie garden. Both very nice. Then I went on to the Maze and grotto, three hours later still can't find the middle! Only joking it took me twenty minutes and there are clues and a very nice man from Leeds castle to guide the lost souls. It did cross my mind that I would have to navigate the maze to get out, but you can exit via the grotto, I don't really see the point of a grotto/cave, it just makes me even more, so I don't want one!
After that I walked back to the Castle and decided to have a look around, I was directed to go down and start in the cellar, there are narrow steps, I guess the Jacobeans didn't realise when building it that one day it would become a tourist attraction with tourist stampeding their way through it. The tour via the directional arrows guides you through the castle, and you arrive at the top, near the shop. There are audible recorders available, but you will have to buy headphones unless you bring your own!
After that, I wandered around and to take more pictures, by that time I was feeling peckish, so I remembered to bring with me a sandwich and drink, or I like to call it a micro picnic! You can purchase such food and drink at tourist prices at the café or at the Costa, bring with you your own mug and get 10p off the price of a coffee.
Here is the history bit: 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.
In 1278, the castle was bought by King Edward I's Queen, Eleanor of Castile. As a favoured residence of Edward's, it saw considerable investment. The king enhanced its defences, and it was probably Edward who created the lake that surrounds the castle. A barbican spanning three islands was also built, and a gloriette with apartments for the king and queen was added. In the Late Middle Ages, the growth of the royal household meant fewer residences could accommodate the monarchy when they visited.
The castle was captured on 31 October 1321 by the forces of Edward II from Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere, wife of the castle's constable, Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere, who had left her in charge during his absence. The King had besieged Leeds after she had refused Edward's consort Isabella of France admittance in her husband's absence; when the latter sought to force an entry, Lady Badlesmere instructed her archers to fire upon Isabella and her party, six of whom were killed. Lady Badlesmere was kept prisoner in the Tower of London until November 1322.
After Edward II died in 1327 his widow took over Leeds Castle as her primary residence. Henry VIII transformed the castle in 1519 for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. A painting commemorating his meeting with Francis I of France still hangs there. The last private owner of the castle was the Hon. Olive, Lady Baillie, daughter of Almeric Paget, 1st Baron Queenborough and his first wife, Pauline Payne Whitney, an American heiress. Lady Baillie bought the castle in 1926 for £180,000. She redecorated the interior, first working with the French architect and designer Armand-Albert Rateau, who oversaw exterior alterations and added interior features such as a 16th-century-style carved-oak staircase, then with the Paris decorator Stéphane Boudin.
During the early part of World War II the castle was used as a hospital where Lady Baillie and her daughters hosted burned Commonwealth airmen as part of their recovery. Survivors remember the experience with fondness. Upon her death in 1974, Lady Baillie left the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation, a private charitable trust whose aim is to preserve the castle and grounds for the benefit of the public. The castle was opened to the public in 1976.
I did see the bird display, and it was very hard trying to track the birds of prey, even with my new camera on it's fastest settings. The first bird was a Caracara, very intelligent and has a funny routine. The next was an Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl called Merlin, very lazy but has fun flying over will children in a group, then they are asked to sit down, if one stands up they get an owl in the face! The last two are Harris Hawks, which both will be retiring soon, so they hopefully will produce more. The show is free and well worth the effort, it starts about 2pm.
You can stay at one of the cottage/apartments/glamping around the castle and wake up to the sight of the castle, I think the price starts around at £160, maybe OK for the weekend, but a week there might be a bit too long. I have now been on the land train called "Elsie", if you have a freedom pass it will cost you nothing, but otherwise it's a pound each way. Ideal for rainy days or just feeling lazy. I have also been on the Black swan ferry, this will shuttle you across the lake/pond to the other side, again this is a pound each way and depends on weather and season.
Don't worry, if you suffer from sea sickness you don't feel a thing, but I was more concerned about the ferry running over the birds! There are a lot of parents with kids, but they go to the play area, thank god, and the noise! If they are not filling their faces with food, parents usually go for Costa coffee (medium Mocha coffee £3.90).
As I have a season ticket, I will try to visit throughout the year taking snapshots of the seasons and get some exercise at the same time if I can get past the wildlife! I wish you could hire costumes, I think it would be fun being dressed for a day, I guess all the princess costumes would go fast, and I would have to be a maiden followed by the buxom wench costume!
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