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LEEDS CASTLE

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A moated castle consisting of a barbican, bailey and keep built on three islets connected to each other and the bank by drawbridges. The present buildings date from circa 1120 and were enlarged and altered during the 13th, 14th and 15th century. The castle was extensively rebuilt in 1822 and in 1926.

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[TQ 8364 5324] Leeds Castle [NR] (1)

Leeds Castle, Kent, is a moated castle consisting of a barbican, bailey and keep built on three islets connected to each other and the bank by drawbridges. The site was originally fortified by the Normans, but only the cellars at the north-east end of the bailey remain of their work, the present buildings date from 1280. (2)

Leeds Castle, a private residence, is as described above. There are considerable modern additions. Castle and moat are in excellent condition.
See GP's AO/61.76/7 Barbican from south-east: /8 Castle from south.
AO/61/74/1 Watergate from south, /2 Castle and Keep from west. (3)

Leeds Castle is one of the most important medieval buildings in Kent. It is built on three islands in a lake fed by the River Len. Its original builders were the Crevequer or Crevecoeur family who founded Leeds Priory in 1112. From them it passed to the Crown about 1299. Edward I carried out some work there. In 1359 William of Wickham, Bishop of Winchester, became Warden of the Castle and partly rebuilt it. Richard II and Henry IV both resided here. In 1420 Joan of Navarre, the second wife of Henry IV, was imprisoned here. In 1440 Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, the aunt of Henry VI, was tried here for sorcery. During the reign of Henry VIII, the Warden of the Castle, Sir Henry Guildford partly rebuilt the Castle at the King's expense. Sir Richard Smythe again rebuilt the main inhabited portion
about 1616, and this was rebuilt once again by Fiennes Wykeham-Martin in 1822.

The Outer Barbican. The ruins of this to the west of the Gatehouse on the western island, the west tip of which is in Leeds Parish, are the oldest surviving portion of the Castle. They probably dated from the 13th century.
The Gatehouse. 13th to 14th century.
The Outer Bailey. Late 13th century. The curtain wall which forms the Outer Bailey rises from the bed of the moat and runs right round the centre island, with four semi-circular bastions.
The Bath House. Towards the west end of the south face of this wall are two pointed arches which give entrance to this bathing place, now a boat-house. It was made by Edward I in 1291-2.
The Maiden's Tower. The building was erected during the reign of Henry VIII.
The main portion of the Castle. This was rebuilt by Fiennes Wykeham-Martin in 1822 on the site of the house built by Sir Richard Smythe about 1616. Some of the cellars date from the early 17th century or from the medieval period.
The Gloriette or Keep. This stands on the north-east island and was originally joined to the centre island by a drawbridge only. It is now linked to it by a bridge with a castellated parpet over that dates from 1822. The lower portion of the building dates mainly from William of Wickham's rebuilding in the mid 14th century, but the upper storey was rebuilt by Sir Henry Guildford during the reign of Henry VIII. (4)

Additional bibliography. (5-8)

Leeds Castle is now open to the public. (9)

Leeds Castle, Grade I. Castle, early to mid 12th cenury, with 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th century alterations. Partly rebuilt 1822 by Fiennes Wykeham-Martin. Interior remodelled first half of 20th century. Motte-and-bailey castle with shell keep, moated from at least 1272. Two islands. Owned c. 1114 to mid 1260s by de Crevecoeur family. Became Royal possession c. 1272/1278, forming part of Queen's dowry. Granted to Sir Anthony St. Leger of Ulcombe 1552. Bought by Sir Thomas Colepepper from Smyth family 1632. (For full description see list.) (10)

Additional Biliography (11-37)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" Prov Edit 1961

( 2) General reference

Toy S. 1953. The Castles of Great Britain, 179-180

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 27-NOV-61

( 4) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Hollingbourne Rural District. November 1960 Page(s)15-17

( 5) General reference

Clark G T. 1884. Medieval Military Architecture in England 2, 176-82

( 6) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

126, 1969 Page(s)254-55

( 7) by John Newman 1976 West Kent and the Weald

The Buildings of England Page(s)370-73

( 8) by H M Colvin, D R Ransome and John Summerson 1975 The history of the King's Works, volume 3 : 1485-1660 (part 1)

Page(s)261-2

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

F2 MJF 18-Mar-86

(10a) General reference

Wykeham Martin C. 1869. The History and Description of Leeds Castle, Kent.

(10) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Borough of Maidstone. 18th December 1985 Page(s)1-2

(11) The Antiquary: a magazine devoted to the study of the past

4 no. 73 1873 Page(s)39-41, 103-05

(12) Country Life

80 Page(s)568, 600

(13) Country Life

61, 1927 Page(s)290

(14) Country Life

1, 1897 Page(s)435-37

(15) Country Life

34 Page(s)806-14, 856-62

(16) General reference

Grose F. 1774. Antiquities of England and Wales 2, 107-108

(17) General reference

Iggleston C. A Saunter Through Kent, 8

(18) General reference

Mackenzie J D. 1897. Castles of England 1, 24

(19) General reference

Grose F. 1787. Antiquities of England and Wales 3, 58-63

(20) General reference

Tipping H A. English Homes 1, 201

(21) edited by William Page 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Kent, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)432

(22) General reference

Clark G T. 1884. Medieval Military Architecture in England 1, 146

(23) General reference

Turner T H. 1853. Domestic Architecture in England; Edward I to Richard II, 284-285

(24) General reference

Braun H. 1936. The English Castle, 99

(25) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

(26) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

42, 1930 Page(s)233

(27) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

25, 1902

(28) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

15, 1883 Page(s)148-151

(29) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

12, 1856 Page(s)122

(30) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

9, 1854 Page(s)286-95

(31) General reference

Harvey J. 1981. Medieval Gardens, 106

(32) General reference

Thompson A H. 1912. Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages, 326

(33) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

82, 1925 Page(s)259

(34) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

95, 1979 Page(s)296

(35) Council for Kentish Archaeology Kent archaeological review

87, 1987 Page(s)167

(36) English Heritage Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England

Kent Part 24

(37) Cleggett DAH 2001 Leeds Castle through nine centuries

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Description

MONUMENT NO. 418216
BROOMFIELD AND KINGSWOOD

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Ruins of barbicans and dam at Leeds Castle. The barbican is a triple barbican. The outer barbican is rectangular in plan, aligned north-south, with a ...

MONUMENT NO. 617397
BROOMFIELD AND KINGSWOOD

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Medieval deer park at Leeds Castle, landscaped possibly during the reign of Edward I. Sections of the park pale survive as an earthwork.

MONUMENT TYPES

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MEDIEVAL BAILEY 1110 to 1130

MEDIEVAL BARBICAN 1110 to 1130

MEDIEVAL CASTLE 1110 to 1130

MEDIEVAL KEEP 1110 to 1130

MEDIEVAL BAILEY 1200 to 1299

MEDIEVAL BARBICAN 1200 to 1299

MEDIEVAL CASTLE 1200 to 1299

MEDIEVAL GATEHOUSE 1200 to 1299

MEDIEVAL INTERVAL TOWER 1200 to 1299

MEDIEVAL CASTLE 1300 to 1399

MEDIEVAL KEEP 1300 to 1399

MEDIEVAL CASTLE 1400 to 1499

POST MEDIEVAL CASTLE 1822

20TH CENTURY BAILEY 1926

20TH CENTURY CASTLE 1926

20TH CENTURY KEEP 1926

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