Leeds Castle — Attraction in Maidstone

Leeds Castle remains a remarkable destination, offering an enchanting experience for both children and adults. The castle itself, with its rich history, the captivating maze, the impressive falconry displays, and the expansive, beautifully maintained gardens, continues to make it a stellar venue. As a frequent visitor since 2005, I have witnessed numerous changes at Leeds Castle over the years, and I appreciate that change is essential for growth and relevance. However, I have two significant concerns about recent developments that detract from the overall experience.First, the dining options have become a major disappointment. The main restaurant ceases serving hot food at 3:00 PM, which is unreasonably early for a venue that remains open until 5:00 PM (or later on Sundays). On a recent visit, I was unable to purchase popular items like pizza or hot dogs because they had run out, leaving only lackluster, pre-packaged sandwiches as an option. This is unacceptable in the 21st century, especially for a premier attraction like Leeds Castle, which draws large crowds who expect quality dining options throughout the day. I strongly urge the management to extend hot food service hours to align with the castle’s closing time and ensure sufficient stock to meet demand. A broader, more appealing menu would greatly enhance the visitor experience.Second, I am deeply disappointed by the shift in the castle’s historical focus. Leeds Castle was once celebrated for its medieval heritage, particularly its association with King Henry VIII. The interiors were adorned with suits of armor, and visitors could explore the vineyard basement or begin a tour by the moat, immersing themselves in the castle’s rich Tudor history. Regrettably, this has been replaced by an overwhelming emphasis on Lady Olive Baillie, a 20th-century resident of the castle. While I mean no disrespect to Lady Baillie, her life of luxury and social prominence holds little historical significance for most visitors. The castle’s exhibits now feel like a 1920s showcase of her personal story, which overshadows its far more compelling medieval legacy. This reorientation feels like a deliberate move by those managing British heritage sites to downplay the castle’s royal and medieval past, possibly to align with modern ideological trends. It’s disheartening to see the rich history of a figure like Henry VIII, a pivotal character in British history, sidelined in favor of a narrative that feels less relevant. While I still cherish Leeds Castle for its beauty and many attractions, this shift in focus detracts from its historical authenticity and diminishes its appeal for those drawn to its medieval roots. I hope future changes will restore a balance that honors the castle’s full historical...

Visited during the summer school holidays on a week day, and the castle was not overly busy. There is plenty of parking areas and free of charge. I have noticed from other comments about the cost of the tickets. Admittedly if you were to visit only for a quick tour of the castle and then go, then yes it would be expensive, but of course you would not be experiencing everything that is on offer and therefore not be getting everything that is included in the ticket cost. In fact for just an extra £10 per ticket you can visit as often as you wish for a whole year. Buying online before you go also offers a discount. It is true that the interior is not what you would expect from a medieval castle as Lady Baillie, who bought the derelict castle in the late 1920's renovated it into the then modern style, whilst still being mindful of the castle's rich history. Whilst walking around, you really can imagine how it was when filled with leaders of countries and stars of stage and screen at the owner's opulent parties in the 1930's. Before touring the castle take advantage of the free media advice that automatically explains the history of each room as you enter each one. Fortunately the weather was sunny and warm at the time we visited so we could take advantage of walking around the extensive grounds. We watched a very informative and inclusive birds of prey display, where the team would get the owls and hawks to swoop low over and through the audience! There are plenty of things for children to do with a castle climbing area and an enormous sand pit as well and of course they will love the birds. There is a small train that can take you around the whole of the grounds and a fun looking boat that you can take a trip on one of the large lakes. The whole place was spotlessly clean and the staff have done an excellent job in maintaining the beautiful gardens and fields to an excellent standard. Leeds Castle is clearly loved by its owners and the staff who work there. Don't just visit the castle, expect to stay here for many hours and take advantage of everything that is on offer and you will feel that every penny of the cost is worth it. Spend that extra tenner per ticket and come as often as you wish for the next 365 days, I did and can't...

Leeds Castle is set in the beautiful Kent countryside and is a stunning place to visit. The site is very spread out, with disabled parking located close to the ticket office, but I would highly recommend booking ahead. those of us with mobiltiy issues are catered for with a land train ( at extra cost ) and boat across the lake ( again at extra cost ) to help you get about which is handy from the ticket office to close to the castle itself. As this is not part of the National Trust or English Heritage, it is not the cheapest place to visit, but it is well worth visiting. As for the castle itself, here was the only downside of the visit for someone with mobility issues. Although I'm not bound to a chair, I do need aids to get about, and stairs are not my closest friends, especially when there are lots of them and lots of people about, you follow a set route through the castle visiting various parts over a couple of floors which covers the history of the building, (wont ruin it with details) and you do so at your own pace, this for me was mostly perfect as could look and enjoy the history, but as it was busy as half term, I did feel I was getting in the way at times and with the amount of people the stairs were more of a challenge than mentally and physically ideal, ( next time I will try and go in term time. ). There is plenty to do for the smaller child with a nice garden to walk through and a large play area. There were some events on as well, but we didn't have a chance to look at those as we were becoming limited on time by that point, Overall though was a great day out, plenty to see and do and if you like your history and countryside this is a great day out for the family, there is a Go Ape site there as well but for obvious reasons I cant review or really comment on that, although it did look great fun and was plenty of laughing and whooping noises from the dare...