Leeds Castle has a historic past that has an interesting tale to tell by the fireside of a campsite. Situated in the middle of a romantic lake, there is something that lurks about this location that has caught the attention of individuals both near and far with good reason. Read further to find out what has locals in a tizzy about this particular castle.
Once a site where lovers flocked in the midst of a lovely lake, some of the most well known folks throughout history have called Leeds Castle their home. Over the course of 75 to 100 years, there has been a ghostly inhabitant that is rather unlikely when you take a look at the scheme of paranormal happenings. Usually, you expect a disgruntled servant or murdered mistress to invade a haunted establishment, but actually, it is a phantom black hound, which terrorizes the premises of Leeds Castle.
Before we deal with the phantom black hound of Leeds Castle, let’s take a look at some of the past occurrences and inhabitants of this location. Located in the Kent, England vicinity, the Leeds Castle has a history that can be traced back to 1119. In its place during the 9th century, there was a manor house built upon the premises before the castle was erected. In 1278, the site was known as the royal residence of King Edward I of England and his queen. At this time, the royal family installed a new entrance, drawbridge, as well as gateway.
The castle underwent controversy as King Edward II protested the shunning of his wife. After King Richard II became part of the castles history in 1395, another well-known historical figure made his mark on the record associated with the castle. Henry VIII revamped the castle and attributed all of this hard work to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. To this day, a painting can be found depicting one of the King’s many meetings with other foreign dignitaries. Another famous milestone in history occurred at Leeds Castle. Queen Elizabeth I was spent some of her imprisoned days in the castle, shortly before she was to be coroneted.
During the English Civil War, many landmarks and homes were being destroyed. The Leeds Castle was spared because the owners at the time, who happened to be the Culpepper family, sided with the Parliamentarians to escape any backlash. In 1926, the land saw the last private ownership of the castle. This was the Lady Baillie and she reworked the interior of the castle to her liking. She even brought in a decorator from Paris to jazz up the place. She also created the Leeds Castle Foundation, as well. Bringing the castle as an attraction that all could enjoy was accomplished in 1976.
Despite all of the famous occurrences and inhabitants of the Leeds Castle, none of these characters have been spotted or associated with the haunting of the castle. Only the black phantom hound is said to inhabit this location from the spirit world.