リンステッドウィズキングスダウンの湖・トップ5

This footpath follows the southern shore of Great Water and offers wonderful, free to access views of Leeds Castle. The castle is a grade 1 listed building. It's been here since 857 and has been the favourite residence of several monarchs. The present castle is mostly 19th century. It was left to the public in 1976 and open for visits.

Oare Marshes is a 71.4-hectare Local Nature Reserve north of Faversham in Kent. It is owned and managed by Kent Wildlife Trust.

Maybe obvious to others, but because some of the signage was missing/hidden when we visited didn't realise that the public footpath intersects with the castle grounds which is private and which you must pay in order to use. The grounds are very pretty, but the entry ticket seem very expensive to me. You can still get nice views of the castle and grounds from the public footpath as well.

There's a great spring with fresh, cold drinking water!

Nice small village just out side of Sittingbourne has a farm shop to stock up on supplys and sit buy the duck pond on the bench for a sandwich

Oare Marshes is a spectacular 176-acre nature reserve which attracts thousands of migratory, over-wintering and breeding wetland birds. You'll spot wild ponies grazing on the wetlands, as birds swoop ahead. The reserve is heavily protected to ensure its habitats continue to serve the diverse wildlife for generations to come; it's a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Grade I National Nature Reserve, a Ramsar internationally important wetland site, and under protection from the European Union Directive on the Convervation of Wild Birds.

Leeds Castle was in its long history a Norman stronghold, the private residence of 6 English queens of the Middle Ages (Eleanor of Castile, Margaret of France, Isabella of France, Joan of Navarre, Anna of Bohemia and Katharina de Valois), a palace of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in Jacobean times a country estate and a Georgian mansion. In the 20th century the castle was an elegant retreat and today Leeds Castle is one of the most visited attractions in the UK. Leeds Castle has Norman foundations, a medieval gatehouse; The Gloriette was built by Edward I and expanded in the times of Henry III, there is a Tudor tower and a 19th century country house. The first castle was built by the Norman Baron Robert de Crevecoeur in 1119, at the time of Henry I, the son of William the Conqueror, on an island in the River Len. In 1278, one and a half centuries later, it came into the possession of Queen Eleanor, the wife of Edwards I. For the next 300 years, the castle was a royal residence and part of the Wittum of the English queens.

Described as the ‘loveliest castle in the world’, Leeds Castle is a grandiose fortress nestled in picturesque countryside and surrounded by water. It is not just rich in beauty, though. Leeds Castle has a very rich history. It has been a Norman stronghold; the private property of six of England’s medieval queens; a palace used by Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon; a Jacobean country house; a Georgian mansion; an elegant early 20th century retreat for the influential and famous; and in the 21st century, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain. Entry costs £26 for adults, £17.50 for children, and children under four-years-old can visit for free. Once you have bought a ticket, you can visit as many times as you like in the following year. For opening times and more information, visit: https://www.leeds-castle.com.