King Henry VIII did stay here at one time. It became used less and less by monarchs and the castle was last occupied by a woman known as Lady Baillie in the early 20th Century. The castle surround by the moat and gardens is a beautiful setting. There remain some medieval style rooms reflecting a little Tudor history but most rooms are decorated to Lady Baillie’s tastes in the early 20th Century.

It takes about 1 hour from Leeds Castle to Canterbury, and we stop for lunch on the way.

Canterbury was the capital of the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Kent. It was here in 597ad that Augustine, sent by the Pope, converted the pagan King of Kent to Christianity. Augustine was appointed the first Archbishop of Canterbury and Christianity spread through these islands. Augustine was given land upon which to build a church now known as Canterbury Cathedral. This magnificent, mostly 15th century gothic construction is the head church of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion.

We can spend about 2 hours in Canterbury and from here back to Central London takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. En-route we have a photo stop at Greenwich.