Leeds Castle, Norman castle in Maidstone, United Kingdom.
Leeds Castle is a castle complex of pale honey-coloured stone built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len near Maidstone. A central tower rises above crenellated blocks with mullioned windows, and two square stone arches at water level form a bridge between the sections. The present buildings date mostly from the early 19th century.
A castle has stood here since 857, when a Saxon chief built a wooden structure on two islands in the River Len. Robert de Crevecoeur rebuilt it in stone in 1119, and Edward I made it a favoured royal residence from 1278, probably creating the surrounding lake. Henry VIII transformed it in 1519 for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon; the Tudor-style remodelling completed in 1823 gave the castle its present appearance.
The rooms inside display furnishings from different centuries, including furniture and tapestries from the time of Henry VIII and the Regency. The kitchen preserves copper pots and hearths that illustrate the working life of earlier times.
A ticket allows unlimited visits for twelve months and saves queuing at the entrance each time. Direct connections run from London Victoria and Bearsted, making the journey easier without a car.
The basement houses a museum of historical dog collars, displaying examples from five centuries. Some collars carry engravings from noble families who marked their hunting dogs with them.
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