Why isn't Leeds Castle in Yorkshire

Q. So it's just a minor castle

A. Wrong. Leeds Castle is 1,000 years old, home to six medieval Queens of England and numerous battles. It's also one of the most beautiful spots in the country and attracts half a million visitors a year.

Q. Biography of the building

A. Certainly. A Saxon royal manor built in 857, Leeds became the stone castle of the Norman Crevecoeur family in 1119. It is built on two islands in a lake formed by the River Len. From 1278, Leeds was a royal palace where Edward I built the fortified mill and barbican. The barbican is unique in that it is made up of three parts, each having its own entrance, drawbridge, gateway and portcullis. The medieval keep is called the Gloriette and housed the great hall. The castle fell to Edward II's troops in 1321 because his Queen was refused admission. It became known as a ladies' castle.

Q. So who were these royal ladies

A. Royal residents include Eleanor and Margaret, wives of Edward I; Philippa of Hainhault, wife of Edward III; Catherine de Valois, Henry V's wife; Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII; and Elizabeth I, who was imprisoned there, briefly, before her coronation.

Q. Henry VIII enjoyed fine things. Leeds Castle, too

A. Indeed. He loved the castle and the many Tudor windows bear witness to his architectural improvements. It was from Leeds that Henry started for his meeting at the Fields of the Cloth of Gold with Francis I of France in 1520 - an event recalled by paintings.

Q. What happened then

A. In 1552, Leeds was granted to Sir Anthony St Leger, Lord Deputy of Ireland. His successors, the Smyths, built a Jacobean house on the larger island, selling it in 1632 to the Culpeper family who allowed Leeds to become a arsenal for Cromwell's forces in the Civil War.

After the Restoration, Leeds passed from the Culpepers to Lord Fairfax, the successor of Black Tom Fairfax, the great Parliamentary General. In the 17th Century, when the keep was being used to hold French and Dutch prisoners, it fell into ruins after the prisoners set fire to the building. The 6th Lord Fairfax made Gothic additions to the main house, entertaining King George III there in 1778. In 1821, the Wykeham Martin family inherited Leeds, but went bankrupt rebuilding the Jacobean house.

In 1926, Lady Baillie, bought Leeds Castle, transforming it and filling it with fine furniture, ceramics, tapestries, paintings, and her collection of 18th-Century Chinese porcelain.

Q. And today

A. It's a high-class tourism attraction. As well as the magnificent castle, there's more than 500 acres of landscaped parkland with a maze, grotto, waterfowl, aviaries, and vineyard. It's also used as a corporate conference centre and has even been host to international summits.

To ask a question about People & Places, click here

By Steve Cunningham