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Interior of Leeds Castle
By Med | March 16, 2006
This is the view on the approach to Leeds Castle, the moat is hidden from view by the rising ground.
Leeds Castle, four miles west of Maidstone, Kent, England, dates back to 1119, though a
manor house stood on the same site from the 9th century. The castle and grounds lie to the East of the village of Leeds, which should not be confused with the city of Leeds, approximately two hundred miles to the north-west.
In 1321 King Edward II of England besieged the castle and used ballistas or springalds to force its defenders to surrender. In 1395 King Richard II of England recieved the French chronicler Jean Froissart there, as Froissart described in his Chronicles.
This castle and its grounds are now an important leisure destination in the county of Kent. The castle has an aviary, a maze, a grotto, a golf course and what may be the world’s only museum of dog collars. It also plays host to an annual hot air balloon display.
The castle was used as the location for Castle d’Ascoigne in the movie Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949).
The Henry VIII Banquetting Hall is the largest room in the Castle at 73 feet long. The structural features of the room were completely altered for Lady Baillie, although the room still retains some illusion from the time of Henry VIII including the bay window. The modern dining table establishes the function of the room but detracts from the atmosphere.
The Front Staircase viewed from the first floor landing was rebuilt in the 1950′s by Boudin.
The Dressing Room with adjoining Bathroom were created by Armand Albert Rateau in 1928. They capture the lifestyle of Lady Baillie, a leading hostess of the time.
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