Leeds Castle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle
General information
Architectural style	Castle
Town or city	Leeds, Kent
Country	UK
Coordinates	51°14′56″N 0°37′48″E / 51.24889°N 0.63000°E / 51.24889; 0.63000
Construction started	857
Renovated	1278
Owner	Leeds Castle Foundation
Grounds	Built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len

Leeds Castle is a beautiful and historic castle in Kent, England. It is about 7 kilometers (4 miles) southeast of Maidstone. The castle is special because it's built on islands in a lake. This lake was formed by the River Len. It is a very old and important building.

A castle has stood here since the year 857. In the 1200s, it became a favorite home for King Edward I. Later, in the 1500s, Henry VIII used it as a home for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

Most of the castle you see today was built in the early 1800s. Its last private owner, Olive, Lady Baillie, wanted the public to enjoy it. She left the castle to a special trust. It has been open for visitors since 1976.

History of Leeds Castle
Exploring Leeds Castle Today
Leeds Castle on Screen
Inside the Castle
Images for kids
See also

History of Leeds Castle

Early Days and Royal Owners

An aerial view of Leeds Castle and its beautiful grounds.

The land where Leeds Castle stands has been important for a very long time. Around the year 857, a Saxon chief named Led or Leed owned the site. He built a wooden structure on two islands in the River Len.

In 1119, a man named Robert de Crevecoeur rebuilt the castle using stone. This made it a strong Norman fortress. The castle stayed with the de Crevecoeur family until the 1260s. We don't know exactly what this early stone castle looked like. This is because it was changed and rebuilt many times over the centuries.

In 1278, King Edward I bought the castle for his Queen, Eleanor of Castile. It became one of Edward's favorite places to stay. He spent a lot of money making it better and stronger. King Edward probably created the large lake that surrounds the castle today. He also added a barbican, which is a strong gatehouse, across three islands. A special building called a gloriette was also added. This building had apartments for the king and queen.

A Castle Through the Centuries

A doublet (jacket) worn by Thomas Fairfax during the Battle of Maidstone in 1648.

Civil War armor from around 1640, displayed at Leeds Castle.

On October 31, 1321, King Edward II's forces captured the castle. This happened after Lady Badlesmere, who was in charge, refused to let the King's wife, Isabella of France, enter. Lady Badlesmere even told her archers to shoot at Isabella's group. Six people were killed. Lady Badlesmere was then held prisoner in the Tower of London. After Edward II passed away in 1327, his wife Isabella lived at Leeds Castle.

Richard II's first wife, Anne of Bohemia, stayed at the castle in 1381. She was on her way to marry the king. In 1395, Richard met a French writer named Jean Froissart there. This meeting is described in Froissart's Chronicles.

Henry VIII made big changes to the castle in 1519. He did this for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. A painting that shows Henry VIII meeting with Francis I of France is still at the castle.

The St Leger family owned the castle for many years. Then, in 1618, Sir Warham St Leger sold it to Sir Richard Smythe.

The castle was not destroyed during the English Civil War. This was because its owner, Sir Cheney Culpeper, supported the Parliamentarians. During the war, the castle was used to store weapons and as a prison.

Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was born at the castle in 1693. He later moved to North America to manage the Culpeper family's lands there. This created a lasting connection between the castle and America. There is a special sundial at the castle that shows the time in Virginia, USA.

Modern Times at the Castle

The castle was rebuilt in the Tudor style and finished in 1823.

Robert Fairfax owned the castle for 46 years until 1793. Then, it went to the Wykeham Martin family. They sold some family lands in Virginia. This gave them a lot of money to fix up and change the castle. They rebuilt it in a Tudor style, and this work was finished in 1823. This is why the castle looks the way it does today.

French designer Armand-Albert Rateau added this spiral staircase, designed in a 16th-century style.

The Wykeham Martin family had to sell the castle in 1924. The last private owner was Olive, Lady Baillie. She was an American heiress. Lady Baillie bought the castle in 1926 for £180,000. She spent a lot of money redecorating the inside. She worked with famous designers to make it beautiful.

During the early part of World War II, the castle was used as a hospital. Lady Baillie and her daughters helped care for injured airmen. Many survivors remembered their time there fondly. When Lady Baillie passed away in 1974, she left the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation. This is a charity that works to keep the castle and its grounds safe for everyone to enjoy.

In 1975, the castle gardens were opened to the public. The castle itself opened to visitors the next year. On July 17, 1978, important meetings happened at the castle. Leaders from Egypt, Israel, and the US met there to prepare for the Camp David Accords. The castle also hosted peace talks for Northern Ireland in September 2004.

In 1952, Leeds Castle was named a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historical structure.

Exploring Leeds Castle Today

The maze at Leeds Castle, made from 2,400 yew trees, opened in 1988.

Leeds Castle and its grounds are a popular place for visitors. There is a golf course and even a museum of dog collars! Kids can enjoy two adventure play areas. One is for younger children (under seven) and another for older kids (under fourteen).

A fun maze opened in 1988. It is made from 2,400 yew trees and looks like a castle from above. In the middle of the maze, there is a raised area where you can see the whole maze. There is also an exit through a special shell grotto. The castle also offers places for tourists to stay. You can rent rooms or even stay in luxury tents called Knight's Glamping.

Many people visit Leeds Castle each year. In 2019, over 539,000 people came to see the castle.

Leeds Castle on Screen

Leeds Castle has been a filming location for many movies and TV shows. It was used in the classic comedy film Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). It also appeared in The Moonraker (1958) and Waltz of the Toreadors (1962). More recently, it was used for the film Purge of Kingdoms (2019).

On television, the castle and its grounds were used for all the filming locations for a Doctor Who story called The Androids of Tara in 1978. Singer Cliff Richard also performed a live concert at the castle, which was released on DVD.

The castle has also been seen in The Hollow Crown (TV series), a Bollywood movie called Rustom (film), Darkest Hour, Casanova, Classic Mary Berry (BBC1), Who Do You Think You Are with Danny Dyer, Antiques Roadtrip (BBC1), and What Would Your Kid Do? (ITV).