Leeds Castle

Well I meant to get around to this post a month ago, but other topics kept coming up. So hopefully I can still describe these places well. First I must mention that Leeds Castle is not actually in Leeds. It is in the country not really in any town somewhere between London and Dover in the South East of England. It is an old castle that has had many monarchs, church leaders, and even an American Heiress. Their is another American connection with this castle as it was once owned by Thomas Fairfax the only lord to live in America, though before independence. He was a guiding force in George Washington’s life. There is a sundial in Virginia that tells the time at the castle and one at the cast that tells the time in Virginia. So I was a bit interested to see the castle.

While a few kings did reside in this castle or use it as a place to stay while traveling it spent a lot of it’s time as a Queens castle. The whole facility is run by a private foundation that keeps the Castle and its grounds up. The area is actually a major attraction in the area and well worth the trip. The Castle itself is a 10 minute walk from the parking lot through grounds with a lot of ponds, trees, exotic plants (rhubarb taller than a man), and animals. The last owner being a bird lover brought some exotic birds to grounds, and their descendants still can be found underfoot. The castle itself was built on a pair of islands in a lake. So the first thing you come to is a gatehouse followed by a yellowed stone bridge to the island. Then there is a set of buildings that originally probably were used for defense that now house a gift shop and toilets. The castle is still complete and is used for diplomatic meetings to this day. It is very picturesque with a tall arched doorway and torrents/towers symmetrically placed.

The castle tour actually starts you in the cellar the oldest part of the castle then walks you through all the hallways of both parts of the castle. The castle is actually two buildings that are attached by a walk way over the canal between the two islands in the lake. Each part of the castle has its own unique character as it was built, rebuilt, and decorated in stages by different owners. My personal favorite was a stairwell with carved wooded set of stars, up the main pillar in the center of the stairs was carved a snake. At the top of the stairs many different figures were carved. There is also a grand entrance to the Castle, one of the last rooms you visit, and some interesting living quarters decorated in the 20s. The tour takes about an hour and is engaging though out the entire time.

After growing through the castle there is certainly more to see. While we were visiting there was a falconry session being put on, there is an amazing garden (another staple of English sites), a restaurant is located in a set of building on another part of the grounds that must have been the servants quarters, another big part of the grounds is a large golf course that wraps around the north side of the castle, but my favorite area after the castle itself was a maze and grotto setup they had. While I am sure this is a kid’s attraction, BM and I had a blast going around it. The maze is actually quite difficult and the hedges used are pretty tall. I could not see over them at all and BM had to stand on his toes. Once you reach the middle of the maze there is what seems to be a tower to climb up and watch as others get lost in the maze. However on closer inspection there is also a doorway with steps leading under the tower that lead to a secret passageway (the grotto). Here you encounter strange sounds, lighting effects, and carved creatures and scenes as you travel in the darkly lit tunnel. It finally exits a dozen feet from the maze it self in a way not to arise the suspicions of those about to enter the maze.

This is a great place to visit if you plan to tour the English country side; especially if kids are along -- or if you a big kid like me.