Originally a Saxon royal manor built in AD. 857, Leeds became the stone Castle of the Norman Crevecoeur family.
From 1278 Leeds was a royal palace where Edward I built the unique fortified mill and barbican.

Falling to EdwardII's troops in 1321 because his Queen was refused admission, the Castle was never again besieged as it's reputation for being a ladies Castle grew ever stronger. In it's history Leeds Castle has been the home of six medieval Queens of England.

Full of history, portraits of Richard II, who held court at Leeds, hang near rooms which were been used by Henry V's widow, Catherine de Valois, shortly before she eloped with Owen Tudor.

Their great-grandson,Henry VIII, enjoyed the Castle. It was from Leeds that Henry started for his meeting at the Fields of the Cloth of Gold with Francis I of France in 1520, embarking at Dover upont the Mary Rose

In 1926, Olive, later Lady Baillie, bought Leeds Castle from the Wykeham Martins, totally transforming it internally.
Lady Baillie filled her house with fine furniture, ceramics, tapestries and paintings, all of the highest quality - her collection of 18th Century Chinese porcelain is remarkable, with many pieces recalling her fondness for exotic birds.

Lady Baillie's achievements culminated in the most radical development at Leeds Castle in its long history; by her will, the Leeds Castle Foundation was created to maintain the Castle, garden and park for the enjoyment of visitors in perpetuity.

Now lovingly restored, it contains a splendid collection of mediaeval furnishings, furniture, tapestries and paintings.

Outside there are 500 acres of rolling parkland and gardens to explore together with an aviary, maze grotto, which has also been lovingly restored The maze grotto were very poplual in their day, with other mazes at Hampton Court and Hever Castle and are once again beginning to appear in landscaping on stately homes like Longleat

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