Leeds Castle?

On a scale of zero to Versailles, how would you rate it? I'm not worried about the logistics of getting there; I'm concerned about the quality of the building, art, furnishings, etc.

thanks

Yes, Leeds Castle is worth a day trip. It dates from A.D. 857, originally constructed of wood, it was rebuilt in 1119 in its present stone structure. It is on two small islands in the middle of a lake. It has a superb collection of fine are, furniture and tapestries. You can see the beautiful gardens, the wildwood garden has rare swans, geese and ducks. I really enjoy the Culpeper Garden. There is also a maze there. Go and enjoy.

Leeds is as lovely day trip from London and you can combine it with Dover. The grounds are beautiful and as we all know Leeds is the Lovliest Castle in Britain...but...The tour of the castle is guided and you aren't allowed to wander about alone or at your own pace. You're in ... you're out. Everyone was very polite but I almost got the impression that we were a little in the way...It's a great example of what an American with a great deal of money can do to make herself a home in England. I didn't think there was anything remarkable in terms of art.. As a person who, when in England, sometimes judges her day by the quality of her cream tea, I thought theirs was pretty darn good.

We combined a visit to Leeds Castle with a visit to Chartwell, Winston Churchill's home.

Don't forget, it has a dog collar museum. :)

I was planning on going to Chartwell on my next trip to London - but I was going to use public transportation. Is it easy to use for this trip? Also any thoughts on using public transportation to see Leeds Castle on the same day trip? Thanks

We plan on going to Leeds and Chartwell this July by car from the southern coast of England close to Bournemouth. As always, my husband will have me as a navigator and normally we are a good team. With having to drive on the other side of the road and entering round abouts in a different manner, how difficult is driving in the area? Keep traveling!

We are doing a house/car swap so we won't haven't the alternative for an automatic transmission but are considering buying a GPS to take with us. Is the area for Leeds and Chartwell heavily congested with traffic and are the sights well marked on the highways?