Leeds Castle
First of all I should point out that this castle is not situated in the well-known city of Leeds, Yorkshire, but in the Kent countryside south of Maidstone, Kent’s market town.
The original castle on this site was built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur as a Norman stronghold, and has been rebuilt and transformed in the following centuries. In the 13th century it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favourite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a residence for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The castle is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len. The castle escaped destruction during the English Civil War because its owner, Sir Cheney Culpeper, made the right choice and sided with the Parliamentarians. The castle was used as both an arsenal and a prison during the war. Other members of the Culpeper family had sided with the Royalists, John, 1st Lord Culpeper, having been granted more than 5,000,000 acres (20,000 km2) of land in Virginia in reward for assisting the escape of the Prince of Wales. This legacy was to prove vital for the castle's fortunes, as we shall see.
Leeds Castle
First of all I should point out that this castle is not situated in the well-known city of Leeds, Yorkshire, but in the Kent countryside south of Maidstone, Kent’s market town.
The original castle on this site was built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur as a Norman stronghold, and has been rebuilt and transformed in the following centuries. In the 13th century it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favourite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a residence for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The castle is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len. The castle escaped destruction during the English Civil War because its owner, Sir Cheney Culpeper, made the right choice and sided with the Parliamentarians. The castle was used as both an arsenal and a prison during the war. Other members of the Culpeper family had sided with the Royalists, John, 1st Lord Culpeper, having been granted more than 5,000,000 acres (20,000 km2) of land in Virginia in reward for assisting the escape of the Prince of Wales. This legacy was to prove vital for the castle's fortunes, as we shall see.