The Loveliest Castle in the World

My visit to "the loveliest castle in the world" began in the town of Maidstone, England. From there, I jumped on the 510 bus towards the castle. I'd been warned by the lady at the tourist information center that the bus stopped across the street from the castle instead of right in front, so when the bus driver asked me where I was going, I told him I wasn't sure which stop was for Leeds Castle. He said, "Leeds Castle", so I thought it would be fairly easy to figure out. Well, when we got to the stop for the Ramada, I didn't see anyone getting on or off. Then, the bus driver turned and stared at me. I noticed as I got off the bus that the sign said "Leeds Castle" in small letters below the stop name. Ooops! The driver pointed me across the street and down a road that looked like it led to nowhere. I walked down the road to the castle, smiling and thankful I'd gotten a driver willing to help me out.

The 510 and the Stop in the Middle of Nowhere

It was about a 5 minute walk down the street to the castle gates. When I got to the gates, the castle was still not visible. I walked another 10-15 minutes to the ticket shop.

Walk to the Castle Ticket Shop

After buying my ticket, I walked down a path leading to the castle for another 10 minutes. This path wound through a garden with many peacocks and views of the castle.

Castle, Waterfall, and Tractor

Peacock and Pigeons

When I finally got to the actual castle, I asked one of the guides to take my picture. I was pretty pleased that now I'd found two people willing to go out of their way to help me on a cloudy day.

Me at Leeds Castle

Walking through the castle, I was struck by the modern style of many of the rooms. Up until 1974, Lady Baillie actually lived in the castle. When she died, she left the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation and the castle was opened to the public in 1976. Now, it is still used for weddings and other gatherings, and guests still stay in the rooms. It was interesting to see how the place had changed from 1119 to the current day to accommodate the needs of residents and guests.

Bedroom in the Castle

My favorite room in the castle was the library, converted to its current use in 1938. I enjoyed looking at the books on the shelves and identifying ones that I had read.

Library

After the tour of the castle, I quickly made my through the Dog Collar Museum in a building nearby and started my trek back to the bus stop.

Exhibit at the Dog Collar Museum

I was lucky that I decided to leave quite a bit of time for myself to make my way back to Maidstone, because I made it to the bus stop only 4 minutes before the bus arrived. The next bus wasn't due for another hour and 10 minutes.

More Peacocks on My Way Back

For more on my adventures in Maidstone, see A Day Made in Maidstone.