Leeds Castle - Day 13 - Aug 25th

 

I'd wanted to visit Leeds Castle the first time we were here in the UK but hadn't figured out how to get there.  Was more motivated this time when I saw the advert for their Medieval Festival on the grounds of this 900 year old castle!  So I made all the arrangements for our trip including Dinner, Bed and Breakfast in the Stable Courtyard Bedrooms across the moat from the castle.  Staying overnight also gave us free reign of the grounds and castle entry.

 

Woke this morning to RAIN and forecast of rain for the next 2 days.    :-(      Sure changed what we planned to bring with us on this overnight trip. Now we needed slickers and extra pants since we were sure to get wet during the day.

Left our flat at 9am to catch the London Tube bus at the corner taking us to Victoria Station in London (90 minutes on the double-decker bus).  Then we took a 1 hour train from Victoria Station to Bearsted station in Maidestone, UK.  A coach shuttle service is run by Spot Travel from Bearsted to Leeds Castle except the driver said he couldn't take the large coach down the winding narrow road to the stable courtyard.  As we stood in our slickers huddled under our umbrellas trying to figure out what to do, another couple were going to the same place so the bus driver called us a "cab" then let us sit in the bus, out of the rain,  until he arrived.

We'd arrived too early for the 3pm check-in but they stored our backpacks.  We quickly to the falconry ring for the 2pm show but nobody was there so had to assume it was cancelled due to the rain.  After a quick pint and some crisps (potato chips) in the cafe, we headed out past the castle to the section of the grounds where the Festival was being held. 

A rope kept us from going close to one set of tents where costumed people were eating and drinking.  They told us that they were sleeping in the tents during the week-long festival.

 

 Walking by another tent we were intrigued by the display of armor and were invited inside, out of the rain, to try it on! 

We only tried a couple of the helmets - boy are they heavy, requiring a very strong neck.  What was really heavy was the suit of chain mail hanging from a pole that he had us hold up.  Wow!

The man spent almost an hour telling us all about the various helmets, armor and weapons. He said he's had soldiers try on a full suit of armour, complete with helmet and chain mail, who then do pushups!  They remark that the weight is the same as the packs they now carry and are surprised at how easily they can move in the full medieval armour. 

 We finally left that tent when a small family arrived so we gave up our private showing. 

A herald came running thru gathering everyone to the tournament area. We'd thought to be among only a very few attendees but shortly the covered stands became filled with attendees and performers.   The Arms and armour handling sessions and Mounted skill-at-arms and Arms were cancelled because the soaked grounds made it was too dangerous.  Instead, they presented prizes to the winners of the longbow archery tournament which had taken place the prior 2 days.  Then their lead knight - a seasoned performer across the UK - gave an extemporaneous  talk on tournaments, weapons, medieval battles and strategy. His enthusiasm was infectious and we were disappointed when, after about an hour, he ended his talk.  

(Single Click on any single pic below to enlarge it.)

The Crier

Our dry seating under cover.

The seating is actually inside a semi truck trailer!

Dagger for 2nd place in longbow archery tournament

Sword for winner of the longbow archery tournament

All swans in the UK are owned by the Queen.  We knew of someone who accidentally killed a swan and had to write a letter of apology to the Queen! Leeds Castle is home to many black swans, imported from Australia years ago.  Thus we took many pics of the swans as we strolled the beautiful grounds.  (Single Click on any single pic below to enlarge it.)

Black swans from James Sandefur on Vimeo.

Of the many castles and palaces owned by Henry VIII, Leeds Castle was a great favourite.  This summer 2 of his most iconic pieces of armour, the Horned Helmet and the Tonlet Armour are on display.  The first was a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I to the young King, and the second was designed for Henry to wear at The Field of Cloth of Gold.  Both items are loaned by the Royal Armouries and on display for 2 months.  here were several indoor armour exhibits.  (The pics point out how much taller we are these days.)

The Tonlet Armour of Henry VIII

for Henry to wear at The Field of Cloth of Gold

Field of the Cloth of Gold

1520 meeting Henry VIII with King Francis II of France. So named because of all the tents and clothing made from "cloth of gold", silk woven with strands of gold.

The Horned Helmet

Gift to Henry VIII from Maximilian I

Pat next to a suit of armour

You can see how much shorter men were in Medieval times. The armour is on a platform.

Half armour for the tournament, about 1610

It would have been black - but was has been shined up in the 19th centry.

We wandered around a bit more but were happy to check into our room, get dry and warm.  Would have loved to stroll the grounds that night but preferred to stay warm and dry.  Dinner in the converted barn gave us stunning views of the Castle.  As darkness fell, they did not light it up like a theme park, but kept it in darkness as it would have been in the middle ages.

Flipping thru TV channels we came across the movie Troy which we watched with more experienced eyes thanks to the knight's talk earlier in the day.  Knowing more about the armor, weapons and strategies made watching the movie alot more interesting.