Leeds Castle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle
General information
Architectural style	Castle
Town or city	Maidstone, Leeds
Country	UK
Coordinates	51°14′55″N 0°37′48″E / 51.24856°N 0.63008°E / 51.24856; 0.63008
Construction started	1119
Grounds	Built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len

Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds.

A castle has existed on the site since 1119, the first being a simple stone stronghold constructed by Robert de Crevecoeur which served as a military post in the time of Norman intrusions into England. In the 13th century it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favourite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a dwelling for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

The present castle dates mostly from the 19th century. It has been open to the public since 1976.

Tourism
Film location
Castle interior
Images for kids
See also

Tourism

The maze at Leeds Castle was made with 2,400 yew trees and was opened in 1988.

An aviary was added in 1980 and by 2011 it contained over 100 species, but it was decided to close it in October 2012 as it was felt the foundation could make better use of the £200,000 a year it cost to keep the aviary running. The castle and its grounds are a major leisure destination with a maze that is exited through a shell grotto, a golf course and what may be the world's only museum of dog collars. There are two castle-themed children's adventure play areas targeted at the under sevens and the under fourteens.

It is a Grade I listed building (first listed in 1952) and recognised as an internationally important structure. In 1998 Leeds Castle was one of 57 heritage sites in England to receive more than 200,000 visitors. According to figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, 539,971 people visited the castle in 2019.

Film location

The castle was a location for the 1949 Ealing Comedy film Kind Hearts and Coronets, where it stood in for 'Chalfont', ancestral home of the aristocratic d'Ascoyne family.

It also appeared in the films The Moonraker (1958) and Waltz of the Toreadors (1962).

On the small screen, the castle and grounds provided all the filming locations for a Doctor Who serial, The Androids of Tara, in 1978. Sir Cliff Richard, filmed a live concert here, with Leeds Castle as a backdrop, titled, "Castles in the Air".