Leeds Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Leedes; Ladies Castle; Ledes

In the civil parish of Broomfield And Kingswood. In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of Kent, 1974 county of Kent).

Founded in C11 Bishop Odo. The first stone Castle was built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur. His successor Hamo rebelled against King John and following a brief siege in 1215 the Castle was confiscated. In 1272 Sir William de Leybourne gave the Castle to Edward I. He made many changes to Leeds, including the extension of the Gatehouse, curtain walls and possibly the Gloriette, as well as extensive landscaping and probably created the lake. Edward gave the Castle to his Queen Eleanor, beginning the habit of giving Leeds to Queens - giving it it's earlier nickname of "ladies' castle". The castle was besieged in 1321. Edward III made further alterations as did Henry VIII, who added an extra storey to the Gloriette. Fell into disuse after Civil War and was rennovated after 1822.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ83645324

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 418125; 418216
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TQ 85 SW 4 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.leeds-castle.com/
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/leeds/leeds.php
    http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/various-pictures3.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/188/leedscastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/leeds.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p50-3
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p121-2
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p3, 8, 10
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p231-2
    Guy, John, 1980, Kent Castles (Meresborough Books)
    Smithers, David Waldron, 1980, Castles in Kent (Chatham)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p252
    Newman, John, 1976, The buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald (Harmondsworth) p370-73
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p261-2
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London) p695-702
    Tipping, H.A., 1921, English Homes, period 1 Vol1 (London) p201-19
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould and Downham, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol1 p432
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p24-9
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p176-8
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p314-7
    Martin, 1869, History and Description of Leeds Castle (Westminster)
    Hasted, Edward, 1798 (2edn), A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol5 p478-502 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62925
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p132
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol3 p58-63
• Journal Articles
  • 1987, Kent Archaeological review Vol87 p167
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p314
    1979, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol95 p296
    Rigold, S., 1969, 'Leeds Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol126 p254-55
    Hussey, 1936, Country Life Vol80 p56-74, 600-5
    1930, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol42 p233
    1927, Country Life Vol61 p290
    1925, Archaeological Journal Vol82 p259
    Conway, 1913, Country Life Vol34 p806-14, 856-62
    James, F.V., 1902, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol25 p.xlix-liii
    Leyland, 1897, Country Life Vol1 p35-37 [slight]
    Robertson, Canon Scott, 1883, 'Leeds Castle' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol15 p148-151
    Martin, 1877, The Builder Vol35 p1097-8
    W.D., 1873, The Antiquary Vol4 no. 73 p39-41, 103-05
    1856, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol12 p122
    Martin, 1854 Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol9 p286-95
    Country Life Vol80 p568, 600
    Country Life Vol34 p806-14, 856-62
• Guidebooks
  • Cleggett, D.A.H., 2001, Leeds Castle through nine centuries
    1989, Leeds Castle (Leeds Castle Foundation)
    Wykeham Martin, C., 1869, The History and Description of Leeds Castle, Kent
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p271-3
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/kenteng.html#kent13]