Leeds Castle, Part 2

Photo from website

In answer to questions

Leeds Castle is built on 2 islands on the River Ren

Here we continue to look at some bedrooms

Here we see the bedroom of Catherine of Aragon

Do go to this link which gives a full history beginning when she was betrothed aged 3 to Arthur, son of Henry VII who was not even quite 2 at the time!

along the corridors and

up and down stairs

to some of the living areas

and leaving by the entrance

we walk out into the sunshine and are looking towards the 

castle keep

and back towards the main castle

and out into some of the old castle ruins

which look quite pretty naturalised with wild flowers

and note the birds nesting in the walls

and out into the grounds by the side entrance

and after quite a walk we end up in the Barn Restaurant

it being lunch time

In the next post I will show some more of the grounds, 

which includes the Maize and Grotto

Leeds Castle Pt. 1

Another castle with 900 years of history 

Leeds Castle in Kent has been a Norman stronghold; 

the private property of six of England's medieval queens; a palace used by Henry VII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon;

a Jacobean country house; a Georgian mansion;

an elegant early 20th century retreat for the influential and famous;

and in the 21st century, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain. 

The first stone castle was built by a Norman baron during the reign

of William the Conqueror's son Henry I on an island  in the River Len. In 1278, a century and a half later, it came into the possession of Queen Eleanor of Castile, first wife of Edward I.

For the next 300 years the castle remained a royal residence before becoming a private home

Crossed over the moat and round to a back entrance

where we enter the extensive cellars

and into the Norman cellar

wine cellar

leaving the cellars and on to the top of the stairs where there are

23 bedrooms

and into the bedroom of Queen Catherine de Valois

widow of Henry 5th 1420's 

where there is a day bed to match the main bed

the bathroom next door

and looking out into one of the courtyards

before entering a private chapel

and another internal courtyard

Lady Baillie's room

and her shoes

her dressing room

and bathroom lined with Russian Onyx

the most lavish in the castle

The bedroom of Catherine of Aragon

Took lots of photos of the castle and grounds so need to show it over a few postings so more to come