Leeds Castle
In some of the most magnificent countryside in the heart of Kent sits Leeds Castle. With a rich history spanning nearly 900 years, and landscaped with gardens, waterfalls and lakes, it is not surprising that this idyllic Camelot has been described as the ‘loveliest castle in the world’.
The first Leeds Castle was built in 1119. It became a firm favourite with a succession of English queens. Henry VIII often stayed here and commissioned works which still survive. Indeed it has been claimed that his daughter by Anne Boleyn, the future Elizabeth I, was conceived here in 1532.
A succession of private owners saw it fall into ruins, but in 1926 it was bought by Lady Baillie, a racing heiress who used it to entertain celebrities such as Errol Flynn, David Niven and Cary Grant. Much of the house remains lavishly decorated in this era of Anything Goes. Its unique history continued throughout the 20th century. During World War Two it was a hospital, in 1949, a film location for the classic comedy Kind Hearts & Coronets, while in the 1970s it hosted Middle East talks. The Baillie family lived here until 2002 when the house was passed to a trust.