INTRODUCTION TO CASTLES

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|Leeds Castle |

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|[pic] |

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|Location: Kent |

|Leeds Castle, acclaimed as the most romantic castle in England, is |

|located in south-east England, built on two adjacent island in the |

|river Len. |

|Leeds Castle was originally a manor of the Saxon royal family |

|possibly as early as the reign of Ethelbert IV ( 856-860). The first |

|castle was an earthwork enclosure whose wooden palisade was converted|

|to stone and provided with two towers along the perimeter. This is |

|now vanished. Traces of arches in a vault thought to be Norman were |

|found at the beginning of this century. |

|Around 1119 Robert Crevecoeur started to build a stone castle on the |

|site, establishing his donjon where the Gloriette now is. Stephen, |

|Count of Blois, and his cousin the Empress Matilda contested the |

|crown of England. In 1139 Matilda invaded England with the help of |

|his brother Robert, Earl of Gloucester, who held Leeds castle, but |

|Kent was loyal to king Stephen and following a short siege he took |