Amidst all the rain and wind that battered us during January, we managed to find some drier, albeit still gloomy days to get out for a few walks together, getting some fresh air and clearing our minds a little.

 

Having not seen the Besties for a while, and although the forecast was showers, we decided to end the month with a visit to Leeds Castle. We had been once before, with my parents when our girls were quite small. I don’t remember going in the castle, so we probably just enjoyed the grounds and took a picnic.

Expecting inclement weather and with Gardeners World 2 for 1 cards in hand, this time we opted for both Castle and Gardens.

It’s a fair, but gorgeous stroll from the entrance to the Castle, passing fallen trees that had been beautifully carved and repurposed as seats and ornamental statues. After the heavy rain, the waterfalls were cascading at quite a pace, but the ducks and magnificent Egyptian Geese took it in their stride as they dived for food or preened themselves at the waters edge.

As the Castle came in to view, we were reminded just how large it is. Despite its many refurbishments and rebuilds it has been excellently maintained, especially the original part, which was first mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Before we embarked on our tour, we took lunch in the Castle View restaurant. A beautifully restored barn, with exposed beams and lovely wooden floors. Situated amongst what would have been the stables, but which are now holiday lets, it is the perfect place for holiday makers and day visitors, to stop for a bite to eat or have a refreshing drink from the bar. The main dining area, does exactly as the name suggests, looks out onto the magnificent castle.

Peeking through the trees, the Castle stood majestically in front of us, its image reflecting in the still water of the moat. We made our way across the water towards the entrance, collecting our audio guides on route.

The large wooden door opened and we were welcomed into the hallway, by an enthusiastic member of staff. She guided us to start our tour in the fantastic, cosy library and so began our 90 minute journey through centuries of history. Although the last occupant Lady Olive Baillie, who lived at the Castle from the 1920’s till her death in 1974, modernised the buildings internally, a vast amount of original features remain. From the windows, to the ornate wooden beams, the Castle is steeped in the history and stories of the Kings and 6 Queens who have owned the property through 900 years.

There are lots of displays, videos, artefacts and paintings that immerse you in the history of the buildings and plenty of staff members willing to share their incredible knowledge of the lives of previous occupants.

We then learned of the party house it became when Lady Baillie took over its care. She made some wonderful, yet sympathetic changes to the new part of the Castle, whilst retaining the history of the original building. What a fascinating journey through time.

As the large wooden front door was once again opened for us, we stepped out into a fresh, but dry Winters afternoon. The grounds are vast,  but due to the recent wet weather, some areas were a little boggy and being Winter hours some were also closed.

We weaved our way around a very wet and boggy maze. Twisting and turning between the neatly trimmed hedges, avoiding the sometimes ankle deep puddles, we kept finding ourselves in places we’d visited before 🙄.  The centre turret was tantalisingly close, yet just beyond reach 😬. But finally we arrived and climbed the steps to take in the view of the grounds and the maze itself. 👏👏

The exit took us below ground and through a small cave, beautifully decorated with thousands of shells. The dim lighting made the images more dramatic, making an unusual, yet lovely way to find our way out of the maze.

There was time for one final stop at the birds of prey aviaries. Most were already indoors for the evening, although they were watching us from behind the windows of their homes. 🦉🦅.  Very handsome creatures.

Wending our way through the grounds, back to the car park, admiring a final view of the Castle, we were already planning another visit for a warmer day, to explore the gorgeous grounds.

With our Gardeners World 2 for 1 card expiring at the beginning of April, we had not only squeezed in a half price visit to this magnificent Castle, we had the added bonus of our tickets enabling us to make unlimited return visits for an entire year 👍