Leeds Castle Reviews Summary

Admission Price

Pros:

• "Absolutely amazing castle, some very nice & beautiful views, worth the ticket cost."
• "Stunning grounds and castle which deserve the full 5 stars."
• "Absolutely stunning. We came down from London and had an amazing day despite the rain."
• "Pay once visit for a year!"
• "Tickets validity up to one year reentry is a great advantage for this tourist attraction if you couldn’t cover all in one visit."
• "Entry price is steep, but there's a whole day's pleasure for the price."
• "It is quite expensive for entry .... but worth it as you can return for free for a year."

Cons:

• "I don't agree with having to pay £32 for entry just to sit on the grass."
• "Unfortunately, the overall experience is not worth the price of £30."
• "It IS pricey to get in now though. £32 with a paltry £1 off for students and seniors."
• "It is inadmissible for a Christmas light to spend so much money the lights are decorations and it is not normal to charge 18 and 23 pounds per person."
• "Not worth the steep admission for the castle itself, but locals will love the gardens."
• "At an entry price of £30 (after online discount), this is expensive, but we will have to visit at least twice to make it good value."
• "But expensive. £30 per person."

Facilities & Accessibility

Pros:

• "There is a small train that helps get you around which is so cute and the kids will love that."
• "Parking, their staff and food really really good."
• "Lots of accessibility options including parking, mobility scooters, wheelchairs and on site transport."
• "The lush gardens that envelop the castle are a sight to behold."
• "Well organised parking spaces."
• "The staff around the grounds were friendly and helpful."
• "Parking is free and you don't have to worry about being there."

Cons:

• "The food isn't anything to write home about and coffee is terrible."
• "Taking off 1 star because we found the maze and grotto don't close later in the summer time so were unable to enjoy them as Gates were locked before 5pm."
• "Need more staff to give information to visitors, need to scan everyone's ticket as they drive in, more food facilities please."
• "Being disabled I do feel they could improve on rest areas for those of us who can’t walk long distances without sitting to rest."
• "The only downside was the food establishments as at lunchtime the stable yard and maze cafe queues were very very very long."
• "We came by coach and were looking forward to coffee and cake but they had run out of milk and cakes."
• "The train isn't always running which is a shame."

Family & Children Activities

Pros:

• "Leeds Castle is a great place to visit. Especially for families. It has something for everyone."
• "Fabulous! Very well thought through and kids friendly. In fact kids centred. Dog bone hunt in the castle. Amazing play area."
• "The fireworks display was great we and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. Was a solid thirty minutes of fireworks accompanied with music."
• "Great play area for children."
• "The events included throughout your annual season ticket are vast and make additional visits worth it."
• "The expansive grounds offer a plethora of activities for kids, including a fantastic play area and a mesmerizing maze that guarantees hours of fun."
• "A great place for kids, with forts, crazy golf, play areas and special events, like the Jousting tournament when I visited."

Cons:

• "Didn't get to go in the maze as time ran out so much to do for the whole family."
• "Out in the grounds things were little better. The Maiden's Tower was closed, the Dog Collar museum, which used to display over 130 collars, was relocated to a small room with just 13 collars."
• "Shame dogs are not allowed but it makes sense as need to protect the wild life here."
• "No dogs allowed."
• "The Narnia experience in the castle is amazing and so beautiful."
• "The fire works and later show are always good here. Unfortunately, the food and drinks prices are so expensive it makes it an expensive night out."
• "It would help if the sign telling you that you had to buy tickets in advance for the train was more on the footpath where you walk past to get to the castle rather than right up buy the train stop."

Historical & Cultural Value

Pros:

• "Interesting historical castle, unfortunately a lot of history is not there now."
• "A really well preserved and well presented castle with lots of amazing extras such as a falconary and a maze."
• "The first mention of Leeds is in the Domesday Survey of 1086 where it is called ‘Esledes’."
• "The castle was beautiful inside."
• "Leeds Castle had its first encounter with royal politics in 1139 when it was besieged by King Stephen."
• "We went to watch the falconry display which was amazing with the owls and other birds of prey flying very close to your head."
• "In 1119 the first stone Castle was erected by Hamo’s grandson Robert, who took advantage of the natural rocky outcrops that formed two islands in the River Len."

Cons:

• "Only a few architectural features survive from the 12th Century building phase, such as the two-light window at the end of The Salon and the cellar beneath the Servant’s Room."
• "Several of our favourite spaces had simply gone- no queen's bedroom or bathroom, no chapel, no Library, and no Henry VIII."
• "The route through the castle had been shortened, and many of the rooms that previously showed something of the history and heritage of the castle had been redressed with crass fabric wall screens."
• "Disappointed with the house. It is a huge property with many rooms but most were very under furnished."
• "The castle looks spectacular from the outside, but inside it is decked out in the 1930s regalia, that Lady Baillie restored the building to, so lacks the historical feel of others like Heever Castle."
• "The castle itself was underwhelming and lacking in historical background information in the main."
• "The castle itself focuses on the mid 1920/30s as opposed to its medieval history."