My weekend in a castle…

SOLC DAY 18

I was reading through my daily brief news overview, when I came across a reference to a castle for sale and that reminded me of the time I spent the weekend at a castle as a guest (albeit vicariously) and not as a tourist…

Today I’m committing my fading memory to paper.

It was during the time I shared a flat in London with five other girls just ten minutes walk from Harrods. One of my friends had met a young stockbroker who was obviously hoping to impress her. He invited her and even her flatmates to come and stay at his home for a weekend. His home happened to be a castle. As you can imagine, we all encouraged Annabelle to take him up on his offer, even if she wasn’t that interested in him.

Leeds Castle is in Kent in the southeast of England. I remember it as stunningly beautiful but not overimposing. It was built originally as a home rather than a fortress although it is surrounded by a moat. In those days no one carried a camera around with them, but there are plenty of breathtaking photos online.

Online research has also helped me to fill in my gaps about Anthony and how he came to live in a castle. His grandmother was an Anglo-American heiress who came to England in the 1920s with her share of a huge fortune and who ended up buying the dilapidated castle. She completely renovated and restored it and later married Sir Adrian Baillie to become Lady Baillie. She lived in the main castle until her death in 1974 while Anthony’s family lived in the Maiden’s Tower. His father was Lady Baillie’s son.

The castle has been around for over a thousand years, but the current structure was mostly rebuilt about two hundred years ago. It’s breathtaking and magnificent, but I can’t remember a great deal of it.

I know we slept in a large round bedroom which I think formed part of the outside wall somewhere. Some of the windows looked out over water.

During the weekend Anthony took us on a tour of the main castle. I don’t recall the rooms, but Google has reminded me of what I must have seen. I do recall gold taps in at least one of the bathrooms.

He also told us a story that inevitably stuck in my mind. As a boy, he once had a friend over to spend the night. After everyone was in bed, they were both awake and feeling hungry, so his friend suggested that they quietly go and find something to eat. After trekking around for some time, Anthony had to admit that he was lost, as he had never actually BEEN to the kitchen. Fortunately, his friend found the idea of not knowing where your own kitchen was, just as amusing as we did.

Leeds Castle is listed in the Domesday Book, it has been home to several kings and queens, including Edward I and his queen Eleanor, Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Lady Baillie loved to entertain guests such as Douglas Fairbanks, Gertrude Lawrence, Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn and Ian Fleming.

And for one short weekend in the early 1970s, it hosted me and my friends.

GRATITUDE DAY 18

That I can enjoy luxury on the odd occasion, but I’m very glad it’s not my lifestyle.