Set on two islands in the middle of a lake, in the Kent countryside, Leeds Castle is reckoned one of the most beautiful castles in England. A residence of medieval queens, it was transformed by Henry VIII into a pleasure house for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
The castle of queens
Since the Middle Ages, Leeds had belonged to the domain of the queens of England: several sovereigns lived here, which earned it the nickname of 'the ladies' castle'. Its situation, on islands linked by bridges in the middle of a lake fed by the river Len, made it at once a fortress easy to defend and a place of rare beauty, seeming to float on the water. At the dawn of the Renaissance it kept all the charm of the fortified medieval castle.
The home of Catherine of Aragon
Henry VIII, in the early years of his reign, loved Leeds and transformed it for Catherine of Aragon, his first wife. He made it a more comfortable and elegant residence, suited to the new taste: adorned apartments, fireplaces, enlarged windows. The king stayed here, hunted and received here. It was, before the 'great matter' of the divorce, one of the places of royal happiness. Later the castle left the Crown's domain and knew many owners, but it kept the mark of the time when Henry VIII, young and in love, embellished his castle for his Spanish queen.
What to see
- The castle on the water, on its two islands linked by bridges.
- The Maiden's Tower and the apartments fitted out in the Tudor age.
- The gardens and the vast park around the lake.
- The exceptional setting of the lake, which makes the place's fame.
Did you know?
Leeds Castle was for so long the dower of the queens of England that it was nicknamed 'the ladies' castle': from Queen Eleanor of Castile to Catherine of Aragon, generations of sovereigns lived here or owned it. A rare feminine privilege in a world of masculine fortresses, this castle on the water was, for centuries, a domain of queens.
Practical information
Leeds Castle lies near Maidstone, in Kent, south-east of London (not to be confused with the city of Leeds, in the north). It is a private castle open to the public, with its gardens and park. Opening hours, prices and days are liable to change with the seasons; it is best to check them against the official sources before visiting.
Quiz
- What geographical feature characterises Leeds Castle?
- It is built on islands in the middle of a lake
- It is perched on a cliff
- It is carved into the rock
- For which wife did Henry VIII transform the castle?
- Catherine of Aragon
- Anne Boleyn
- Jane Seymour
- What nickname did Leeds Castle earn over the centuries?
- The 'ladies' castle'
- The 'black castle'
- The 'king's castle'