We recently visited Leeds Castle in Kent and had a brilliant day out. Not only is it a beautiful place to visit but it’s incredibly fun and packed full of playgrounds and fun things for the kids.
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Leeds Castle is a full day out. There’s loads to do here and both you and your little ones will love it. I loved it for the beautiful grounds, the boat trip on the lake, great picnic spots and had we had more time a wander round the castle. Ashley (who’s 3) absolutely loved the adventure playgrounds, birds of prey and the maze!
Adventure Playgrounds
There are two adventure playgrounds here. One for under 6’s and the other for 6+. Both are castle themed with different levels to run around, wobbly bridges and tunnels.
The under 6’s playground also has has swings, a toddler zip line (these are the best!!) and several slides.
Whilst the older playground is a much bigger castle with 4 floors in some parts. It looked like an incredible place to play hide and seek, which is what most kids in there were playing. It’s much more challenging than the other younger playground, with steep ladders to get up and down and ledges to jump off. Ashley had fun running around it but needed a lot of help in parts. There’s a couple of zip lines in here too.
Birds of Prey
Over by the playgrounds there’s a falconry centre which you can walk round. They also do regular falconry displays in the field behind the centre and there are various experiences that you can book at an extra charge.
Maze
When we visited the maze was open but with a one way system in place, lol! So a bit pointless as it just took you straight to the centre but as it was Ashley’s first ever maze experience she still enjoyed it. Once you’ve got to the centre you go down some steps into a very cool grotto.
Adventure Golf
There’s a brilliant adventure golf course over by the playgrounds which is an additional charge. It costs £2 for adults and £1.50 for children.
Boat Ride
There’s a large lake at Leeds Castle and they run a ferry from the castle end over to the playground area regularly throughout the day. It takes about 5 minutes and costs £1 each way.
Castle Kids Obstacle Course
From 24th July to 31st August there is a brand new obstacle course. It’s aimed at 8 to 12 year olds and they will be challenged to climb and crawl through rope tunnels, under nets and swing across monkey bars.
Castle
When we visited if you wanted to enter the castle itself you had to pre-book an entry time but this is no longer the case. It was full on the day we visited so we didn’t go in, but to be honest we’d spent so long in the playgrounds that we didn’t have time anyway.
Food and Drink
There are various outlets for food and drink dotted around the grounds, all were takeaway only when we visited but this may change. The best area we found for choice of food was the Stable Yard which is on the walk between the playground area and the castle. Here you’ll find both hot and cold food options.
Grounds
There are over 500 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland at Leeds Castle. Be prepared for plenty of walking as the walk from the car park to the lake (which is kind of the start) is about 10-15 minutes. If you don’t catch the ferry it’s then at least another 10 minute walk up to the playground area.
Best bits: Without a doubt the playgrounds were the biggest hit! We spent the majority of our time in them and were there all day.
Worst bits: For us personally it’s the distance as it’s about 1.5 hours from High Wycombe. If it was closer we’d be there all the time! Some of the one way systems they had in place due to Covid seemed a bit over the top and a lot of people were ignoring them anyway making it all a bit pointless.
Cost: Adults £28, Children (4-15) £19.54, Under 2’s free. They also offer discounted family packages and free places for carers. Whilst prices are expensive, this gets you entry for a full 12 months!
Tickets: Must be purchased in advance. Click here to buy.
Buggy friendly: Yes
Bike & scooter friendly: Not permitted
Location & parking: Broomfield, Maidstone. Free parking onsite.
Sat nav:ME17 1PD
Baby in Bucks Top Tips
Take a picnic with you. There are so many beautiful spots to enjoy it and loads of space. Other than the Stable Yard area there wasn’t loads of choice for food and I imagine the queues get very long during peak dates.