Visiting Leeds Castle in Kent

Leeds Castle in Kent was one of our the sites we traveled to over Spring Break.  Thanks to the kindness of Wigbert, we traveled by car and saw some of the Kent countryside on the way.  Leeds Castle was built in 1119 and is the type of castle that one imagines, with a great big moat.  This castle was residence to King Edward I and his wife Eleanor of Castile, in 1278, In the late 1300's King Richard II took residence with his wife Anne of Bohemia.  The most famous resident was Henry VIII who renovated the castel for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.  Steeped in history, Maya Rose, Wigbert, Brad, and I enjoyed a rare, sunny, English day and roamed the grounds, later exploring the castle interior.

 

 Walking up to the castle

Black swan

Wiggy, Brad, and Maya with Leeds Castle in the distance

One of the many peacocks walking the grounds

 

Proud, proud peacock

Feeding the black swans

An arbor of bent branches

Beautiful white swan in one of the many ponds

 

The castle in all it's glory

 

 Caretaker's cottage

Pretty, purple hyacinths lining the caretaker's cottage

Wiggie and Maya balancing on the bridge

One of the many castle entry gates

Outdoor window view - reminded me of a sword in stones

Bridge over the moat

 

 What a knocker - castle main door

 Lead pipe and Brad

 

 My little munchkin walking up to the castle

 

Entry into the cellar

Maya and her knight in shining armor

Bright castle hallway

View from castle window, of the moat

Another passageway

Catherine of Aragon's coat of arms

The queen's sitting room

I always imagined castle's to be dark, but this one was filled with light

Queen's bathroom

Fireplace in queen's bathroom

Highly insulated castle door

Ornate ceiling

Worn out insulation - leather and horse hair

Dependable lock

Exquisite furniture

More ornate ceiling

Setting for sixty - dinner fit for a king

 

 

Maya and a large, working clock

 

 Even the strict King Henry VIII allowed his wife a massive shoe collection

 

 Tourist shot

 

 Another beautiful castle view

 

 The salon - one of many

 

 Maya posing in the library

 

 The China Room

 

 Castle turrets rising up to the blue, blue English sky

 

 Leeds Castle frontal view

 

 Cobblestone path