Day 8 (Monday): Our next major excursion was a trip to Leeds Castle. Steph’s parents joined us for the adventure, which helped sort out the problem of getting everyone there by car. It’s only about a 20 minute drive from Hythe via the M20.

Known as “England’s Prettiest Castle,” and also “The Ladies’ Castle”, Leeds has a storied history that dates back to the 11^th century. You can find a detailed history here: https://leeds-castle.com/her-castle/history-of-the-castle/  The castle itself has been rebuilt and reworked several times over the course of the centuries and became a retreat for

Part of the original castle gate stands outside the current structure

several queens, including Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I, Catherine of Valois, widow of Henry V, and Catherine of Aragon.

Most recently though, it was extensively revamped by its last individual owner, Lady Baillie, in the 1930s. The interior is decorated to match the way it looked in Lady Baillie’s time. In that sense, it reminded me more of Biltmore House, which reflects a similar period, than any Medieval castle or fortress.

We took the audio tour inside, which was interesting, but covered only a part of the castle, as some of it is now used as a hotel. The castle and grounds are part of a trust, which has developed the land and building as a combination resort and local attraction.

After the castle tour, we walked farther on the grounds past some beautiful gardens, to an extensive children’s play area, which also had picnic areas. We visited on a Monday on a bank holiday weekend, a beautifully warm, clear day, which meant significant crowds. The benches under the tent were full, so we found a shady area under a tree to sit and have a leisurely lunch.

Afterward we let the children play in the various attractions, which included an elaborate maze leading to a fantastic (literally) grotto, a moving bridge, slides, and various wooden climbing structures and buildings. The older among us got some needed rest in the shade while the younger pursued more energetic activities.

After a while we turned back to the castle but stopped to sniff some flowers in the gardens and then get ice cream in one of the courtyards. From there we made our way to a small used bookstore where most of us found a few interesting things.

We covered several miles during the day, though we only walked a portion of the available interesting sights and activities. There were more extensive trails, a boat ride, falconry exhibits and quite a few more things, but by the time we finished with the bookstore, it was late afternoon and we were pretty cooked. Nonetheless, we managed to fit in some shopping time in the gift store before we left.