Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle is a well-maintained castle that has been in continuous use since its construction in the early 1100’s. While it saw some action during The Anarchy of the 1100’s, it primarily served as a residence for the queens of England during the Plantagenet and Tudor eras, before passing into private hands, where it remained until 1974. It is today known as one of England’s most beautiful castles.

Most medieval castles fell into disrepair in the early gunpowder era. For castles that were kept up, they would have to have been in continuous use after the medieval period. We saw on our previous visit to England the Tower of London, which has been used continuously since the 11th century, and today we visited Leeds Castle, which has also been used continuously since its construction in the early 1100’s. Leeds Castle, in fact, was a private residence until 1974, so its plumbing and electricity are modern and up-to-date. As it has been well-maintained by its previous owners, it is known as one of England’s prettiest castles, more impressive by the fact of its age and history.

Leeds Castle has historically been known as a queen’s castle, having served as home to several queens and dowager queens of England, including Joan of Navarre and Catherine de Valois. It is fitting, therefore, that its last owner was also a woman, Lady Baillie. When she purchased the castle in the 1920’s, she spared no expense to repair, restore, and decorate the castle, so it is in jolly good shape. When we visited today, the banquet hall was being set up for a wedding banquet, and it looked grand indeed!

There are various parts to the grounds of Leeds Castle. After purchasing your tickets (sorry, it is neither National Trust nor English Heritage, so you will have to pay for your tickets), there is a 10-minute walk from the ticket office to the castle through some beautiful gardens. You could also take a “train” to the castle, but I do not recommend missing the walk. If you must, walk to the castle and take the train back to the start at the end of your stay.

The castle itself is built on 2 islands surrounded by a moat. The oldest part of the castle is on the far island, though there are also some ruins that originally protected the entrance on the outside of the moat. The drawbridges were replaced with permanent bridges several centuries ago, and various other parts have also been added or modified over the centuries. In the castle, there is an audio tour available in the gatehouse for £4. We are fans of audio tours when traveling with children, because it allows different members of the family to proceed at their own pace. The children always like to go a bit faster than the adults.

The castle tour does not take you through the entire castle complex, as much of it is still in use today, but it takes you through many of the most important living areas, which remain decorated as they were by Lady Baillie. You begin, however, in a Norman cellar, which dates all the way back to the early 1100’s. A bit of trivia I learnt ascending the steps from the cellar is that the steps were made uneven on purpose, to trip up invaders. Coincidentally, right after I mentioned this fact to my wife, she caught her foot on a step; and then I, having just watched her, did exactly the same on the same step!

Outside the castle and further on is a courtyard with a nice restaurant looking over the castle. As you walk up to the courtyard, if you turn around, you will be rewarded with some of the most majestic views of the castle and its surrounding moat.

Beyond the restaurant courtyard is a recreational area which contains a really good hedge maze. For whatever reason, children are always better at navigating the maze, so our kids made it to the middle well before we did. There is also an area where falconers put on falconry shows, which are always entertaining. Beyond that is a pavilion with a short movie about the Battle of Agincourt, and then a terrific playground for children. It’s a really good playground, and will provide parents with a well-deserved rest while their kids run around the faux-castle playground.

A note for disabled persons

Moreso than other castles, Leeds Castle does have accommodations for people in wheelchairs. While it would be impossible for wheelchairs to navigate the entire castle — as much as can be accommodated is, and there is a special movie for mobility-impaired visitors to see the parts that they are missing. Up in the recreational area, there is a good part of the playground that is designed for handicapped children, which was a very nice thought. And admission is reduced for disabled persons and their caregivers.