I stayed at a lakeside lodge at Leeds Castle, a spectacular former Henry VIII love nest - this is what it's like...
Leeds Castle in Kent was home to a succession of queens after King Henry VIII Laura Sharman visits the grounds and stays onsite in a lakeside lodge READ MORE: My stay in a Maldives resort that's BETTER than it looks in photos By LAURA SHARMAN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 07:53 EST, 8 November 2024 | Updated: 07:59 EST, 8 November 2024 e-mail View comments When Henry VIII transformed Leeds Castle into a Tudor palace, little could he have imagined that it would become an attraction with half a million annual visitors and a cafe serving high teas with smoked salmon sandwiches and prosecco. But it has. Tourists flock to see the love nest Henry renovated in 1519 for his first wife Catherine of Aragon, below, on the site of a Norman stronghold.
Prior to his rule, the fortress had been mainly known as a home (willingly or otherwise) to a succession of queens. The first, Eleanor of Castile from 1278, installed a medieval writing room for copying manuscripts. Laura Sharman visits Leeds Castle, the love nest Henry VIII renovated in 1519 for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon Leeds Castle has become an attraction with half a million annual visitors Prior to Henry's rule, the fortress had been mainly known as a home (willingly or otherwise) to a succession of queens Read More The 37 best and worst international hotel chains for 2024 ranked, with household names faring.
