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| KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! |
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| NO ANSWER?? THEN RING THE BELL! |
Following an 80 minute bus ride SE of London,
we pulled into
the gatehouse for
LEEDS CASTLE
we pulled into
the gatehouse for
LEEDS CASTLE
A place of opulence... comfort... and beauty...
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| Luscious, fragrant lavender scents the air at the front door. |
In 1926, Olive Wilson Farmer (later becoming
Lady Baillie) fell under the magic spell of
LEEDS CASTLE.
Lady Baillie) fell under the magic spell of
LEEDS CASTLE.
Coming from an aristocratic background,
she used her acquired wealth
she used her acquired wealth
to purchase & then refurbish the 500 acre
castle area for viewing by today's public.
castle area for viewing by today's public.
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| Lady Baillie's bedroom w/needlepoint pillow |
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| Side view of castle... moat & beauty! (pic by JPE) |
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| Lady Bailie's beautiful English garden |
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| Grain was milled here during the war! |
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| Lady Baillie LOVED animals & birds... |
~ Early history - Leeds Castle ~
Leeds Castle was built in 1119 & passed into royal hands in 1278, as part of the Queen of England’sdower (settlement widowed queens received upon the death of their husbands). In addition to serving as a residence for six different medieval queens & several private families, it also served as a garrison (place for military troops), a prison, a hospital (WWII) and a convalescent home.
~ Visiting the Castle ~
Tour buses, families on "holiday" and mommies w/strollered children visit the castle & its' grounds.There is a special playground area for children - with picnic tables, benches & a play structure. Our tour didn't allow us time to wander thoroughly wander the grounds... we missed the bird aviary, the boxwood hedge maze, and the golf course (sorry Dad!!).
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| Canterbury Cathedral |
Next STOP...
One of England's most important
religious destinations;
religious destinations;
prime destination for religious pilgrims;
sometimes called
the English Vatican!
The exterior of
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
is showing its age!?!!
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
is showing its age!?!!
Begun in 597, the church is a
patchwork of various architectural designs,
patchwork of various architectural designs,
best viewed inside the nave.
Loved the color & detail of the pulpit!
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| Pulpit overhang |
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| Pulpit box |
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| Detail of carvings |
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| Nave architecture |
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| Ceiling design + wooden carvings along the nave |
Drove to
DOVER
DOVER
(sea coast)
for a breath of fresh air
and a view of DOVER CASTLE
(pics didn't turn out)!
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| OUCH! this is the beach in Dover!!! |
Our LONG, WINDING ROAD Trip
ended with a ride on
the Thames River
from Greenwich to Embankment...
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| NOPE! this is not London Bridge!! but Tower Bridge... |
What I loved most about Tower bridge, aside from finding out it was not London bridge which is quite boring, was the shear size of it from the inside. I loved that tour.
ReplyDeleteLovely and interesting and nicely detailed photos. Please post a link if you do a balance post. (If you did it, I don't know where it is.)
ReplyDeleteI'm ready to move in! I love Leeds Castle!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures. I want that garden!
ReplyDelete