Leeds Castle

Type:Castle / Fort

Leeds, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 1PL

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 5293 reviews5293 reviews

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Tel01622 765400

Leeds Castle early morning sunrise.

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About

Set in 500 acres of Kentish parkland, Leeds Castle has been a Norman stronghold; the private property of six of England’s medieval queens; a palace used by Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon; a Jacobean country house; a Georgian mansion; an elegant early 20th century retreat for the influential and famous; and in the 21st century, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain.

The Castle’s last private owner, Lady Baillie, bought the Castle in 1926 and transformed it into an elegant setting for glorious weekend parties. Sir Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and John F. Kennedy are amongst the roll-call of many other influential guests who enjoyed Lady Baillie’s hospitality during this time.

All admission tickets last 12 months, meaning you can visit as many times as you like for up to one year. Visitors can also enjoy many attractions and events, including the Adventure Golf and Knight’s Stronghold Playground alongside falconry, stunning gardens and maze and grotto.


Leeds Castle also offers holiday cottages, bed and breakfast rooms on the grounds, medieval glamping, an extravagant manor house and the opportunity to stay in the luxurious Castle bedrooms or Maiden’s Tower as part of a private event or wedding celebrations.

Leeds Castle is located near Maidstone in Kent just off Junction 8 of the M20 and only one hour’s drive from London.

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Other Great Things at Leeds Castle

You can book a stay the have cottages and bed and breakfast rooms.

Leeds Castle is also a great place to book a meeting or your wedding, so please click through if these are of interest to you.

 

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Adult (16+) On-line - Explorer Ticket£30.00 per ticket
Adult (16+) On-line - Ultimate Explorer Ticket£40.00 per ticket
Adult (16+) On-site - Ultimate Explorer Ticket£45.00 per ticket
Adults (16+) On-site - Explorer Ticket£35.00 per ticket
Child - On-site (aged 3-15 years) Explorer Ticket£25.00 per ticket
Child (3-15 years) On-line - Explorer Ticket£22.50 per ticket
Child (3-15 years) On-site - Ultimate Explorer Tick£32.50 per ticket
Child (3-15 yrs) On-line Ultimate Explorer Ticket£30.00 per ticket
Infant (under 3)Free

Explorer Ticket - Visitor with disability Adult + Free carer £27 on-line and on-site £32
Ultimate Explorer Ticket - Visitor with disability Adult + Free carer £37 on-line and on-site £42
Explorer Ticket - Visitor with disability Child (3-15) + Free carer £20 on-line and on-site £22
Ultimate Explorer Ticket - Visitor with disability Child (3-15 years) + Free carer £27.50 on-line and on-site £29.50

Group Rates: https://leeds-castle.com/experience/group-visits/
Learning and Schools: https://leeds-castle.com/learning-schools/

Events

Saturday, 26th August 2023 - Sunday, 8th October 2023

Sculpture Graphic at Leeds CastleSublime Sculpture Trail Safari at Leeds CastleLeeds Castle’s Sublime Sculpture Trail Safari is one of the highlights of the wider Festival of Craft and Design, running from the 26th August to 8th October.
more info

Friday, 1st September 2023 - Saturday, 30th September 2023

Family under floral sculptureFestival of Craft & DesignThe Festival of Craft & Design at Leeds Castle promises to be an exciting event, showcasing the best of Leeds Castle’s interiors, architecture, gardens, textiles and more.
more info

Saturday, 21st October 2023 - Sunday, 29th October 2023

Floral arrangement in a tree with a face in the bark and lamps, apples and pumpkins on the ground. Background of Leeds Castle.Halloween at Leeds CastleDiscover The Guardians of the Grounds – A Haunted Halloween Quest at Leeds Castle!
more info

Saturday, 4th November 2023 - Saturday, 4th November 2023

Amazing firework display at Leeds Castle.Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular VIP PackageWatch the famous Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular in style, as you and your loved ones enjoy an afternoon and evening of fine dining and first-class hospitality, before you ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhh’ as a mesmerising fireworks display brightens the sky overhead.
more info

Saturday, 4th November 2023 - Sunday, 5th November 2023

Amazing firework display at Leeds Castle.Leeds Castle Fireworks SpectacularThe biggest and best fireworks display in the South East of England returns for 2023!
more info

Friday, 24th November 2023 - Sunday, 31st December 2023

Leeds Castle with Christmas lights turned on and reflected in the moat.Christmas Lights at Leeds Castle
more info

Saturday, 2nd December 2023 - Saturday, 2nd December 2023

Leeds Castle Waiter holding glasses of bubblyMurder Under the MistletoeAs actors help to set the scene, immerse yourself in one of two truly spectacular evenings set in the style of either a panto-crime or at the auction of the highly valuable Thornley-Cruttock jewel collection, where you decide just how involved you want to be.
more info

Facilities

Other

  • Audio Commentary in Foreign Languages
  • Educational Visits Accepted
  • Facilities for Hearing Impaired Visitors
  • Facilities for Visually Impaired Visitors
  • Family Fun
  • Groups Accepted
  • Guide Dogs Permitted
  • Guided Tours Available for Groups
  • Indoor Attraction
  • On-Site café/restaurant
  • Outdoor Attraction
  • Parking (free)
  • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
  • Picnic Site
  • Printed Material in Foreign Languages
  • Toilets for Disabled Visitors
  • Village Location

Accessibility

  • Disabled facilities (please call for details)

Establishment Features

  • Conference facilities
  • Staff Fluent in Languages - Other

Languages spoken

  • Dutch spoken
  • French spoken
  • German spoken
  • Spanish spoken

Parking & Transport

  • On site parking

Payment Methods

  • Euros accepted
  • MasterCard accepted
  • Special group rates
  • Visa accepted

Provider Preferences

  • In countryside

Travel & Trade

  • Min group size numeric qualifier - 15

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      3087
    • Very Good
      1322
    • Average
      434
    • Poor
      213
    • Terrible
      237

    Recent Reviews:

    • rustlee
      Northampton, United Kingdom
      Nice place, annoying overly officious staff
      3 of 5 stars
      Friday, 22nd September 2023
      Good points - gorgeous place, best maze we've ever done (it's amazing - no pun intended!), food ok and especially liked the crafts they'd put on during summer holidays. Bad points - annoying overly... Read full review
    • A8369XWlucyg
      Sevenoaks, United Kingdom
      Over priced post covid
      1 of 5 stars
      Sunday, 24th September 2023
      We have been before a few times and the castle and grounds are lovely. We came with friends from Scotland to visit (who therefore won’t come again in a year) and did Go Ape first, then planned to go... Read full review
    • Peter B
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      A better experience from the exterior
      3 of 5 stars
      Sunday, 24th September 2023
      From the outside, Leeds Castle looks like a movie set. The interior is a bit dull in comparison, largely because it has been updated several times, the most recent in the 1920s. It looks more like a... Read full review

    Map & Directions

    Road Directions

    7 miles east of Maidstone, Junction 8 of the M20 motorway just 1 hour from London, 30 minutes from the Channel Tunnel and Channel Ports. Clearly sign posted from all routes - following the brown and white tourist signs.

    Car parking at Leeds Castle is FREE.

    Public Transport Directions

    Southeastern run frequent services to and from Bearsted and a coach shuttle service run by Spot Travel is available from the station from April to September.

    Nuventure no.13 bus from Maidstone to Hollingbourne.

    Arriva no.13 bus from Maidstone to Hollingbourne.

    Leeds Castle is just 25 miles from the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone and 38 miles from the port of Dover.

    Awards

    • Visit BritainWe're Good to Go We're Good to Go 2020
    • Regional and MiscellaneousWTTC Safe Travels WTTC Safe Travels 2021

    Opening Times

    Open New Year
    2023 Opening (1 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023)

    * Apr-Sept: Grounds Open 10am-6pm. Last Ticket sold 4.30pm. Castle open 10.30am-5.30pm. Last entry to Castle 5pm.

    Oct-Mar: Grounds Open 10am-5pm. Last Ticket sold 3.00pm. Castle open 10.30am-4.00pm. Last entry to Castle 3.30pm.

    What's Nearby

    1. Hot Air Balloon Rides Over Hollingbourne

      Enjoy an unforgettable hot air balloon ride over Hollingbourne, right next door to the…

      0.26 miles away
    2. Go Ape - Leeds Castle

      We’ll brief you for safety before you fly down our zip-wires, leap off our Tarzan Swing…

      0.61 miles away
    3. Segways at Leeds Castle

      Take an escorted tour of the castle's picturesque grounds on a Segway, the world's only…

      0.71 miles away
    1. Marriott Tudor Park Golf Course

      Tee off from the 18-hole Championship golf course at Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country…

      1.68 miles away
    2. Stoneacre

      15th century half timbered Yeoman's house featuring a great hall and crownpost,…

      1.89 miles away
    3. Bearsted Market on the Green

      Bearsted Market on the Green is held on the 1st Sunday of the Month on the village green.

      2.02 miles away
    4. Bearsted Golf Course

      18-hole parkland golf course with view of the North Downs. Professional coaching…

      2.5 miles away
    5. This Art of Mine

      This Art of Mine is a pottery painting art and craft studio located in the beautiful Kent…

      2.78 miles away
    6. Hucking Estate

      This beautiful ancient woodland sits on top of the North Downs and has one of the most…

      2.78 miles away
    7. Sutton Valence Castle

      This is an imposing ruined castle with a history dating from c.12th century. The great…

      2.78 miles away
    8. Augustine Camino Pilgrimage Trail

      The Augustine Camino Pilgrimage Trail follows a route through the beautiful North Downs…

      2.83 miles away
    9. North Downs Way National Trail

      The path was opened in 1978 and most of it is within easy reach of London. The good…

      3.11 miles away
    10. Thurnham Castle

      Thurnham Castle and the site on which it stands appears to have been used for…

      3.11 miles away
    11. Sutton Valence Farmers Market

      Occurs on the 3rd Saturday of every month. This farmers market takes place in the village…

      3.12 miles away
    12. White Horse Wood Country Park

      The White Horse Country Park is set within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural…

      3.18 miles away
    13. Thurnham Accessible Heritage Trail

      Thurnham Castle, 6km north of Maidstone, stands on a spur of the chalk ridge of the North…

      3.28 miles away
    Previous Next

    Related

    Leeds Castle Admission - Ultimate Explorer Tickets, MaidstoneVisitors never forget their first breath-taking vision of Leeds Castle in Kent, rising majestically from the moat. With its riveting history serving six of England’s medieval queens, to its elaborate transformation into an elegant 20th-century retreat by Anglo-American heiress, Lady Baillie, Leeds…

    Two boys jumping on a sandcastle.The Beach at Leeds Castle, HollingbourneThere will be tons of sand to play and build your own Leeds Castle in, space to make new memories, and whilst we can’t bring the sea to the countryside, there will be everything you need for a family day out… and if you are lucky, you might even catch some rays. Grab your bucket and spade, dig out…

    Boots and Danny Hidden bonesFind Boots and Danny's Hidden Bones, HollingbourneBoots and Danny, Lady Baillie’s beloved Great Danes, have hidden their bones in Leeds Castle, and need your help finding them. This brand-new interactive activity invites children to use a special torch to reveal hidden dog bones in unexpected places throughout the Castle.

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