Kent: from one castle to another

With the Olympic Games, the Queen's Jubilee and Dickens' 200th birthday, 2012 is the year of England... All the more reason to discover the bucolic beauty of Kent, less than an hour from London and two hours from Paris by Eurostar.

By The Editor -

Published on 27/07/2012

Bucolic, Kent? Indeed... The region to the south-east of London truly deserves its nickname of "the garden of England". If we wanted to invent a new verb, create a neologism along the lines of "it's raining" or "it's snowing", then, without a shadow of a doubt, we'd say of the county that "it's bucolic". Everywhere and everywhere, whether it's along the roadsides wedged between two impeccably trimmed hedges, in the green meadows, along the walls of the old hop gardens or in the shade of the trees in the countless orchards... It's quite simple, in Kent, you'd think you were in a pastoral setting of yesteryear. However, love affairs in the county, at least for the most aristocratic, have not always been easy. Those of Henry VIII, in particular, and his many castles that changed the destiny of England.

It all begins in Leeds, an ancient Norman fortress that has been remodelled many times over the centuries. It was here that the King came with his - first - wife, Catherine of Aragon, to roam the woods teeming with game. Standing on a tiny island in the heart of a vast estate, the castle's crenellated silhouette is still reflected in the light green water of its moat. Around it, the majestic driveways, where peacocks looking like overly made-up old queens stroll with their heads held high, lead to mazes of boxwood, grottoes, aviaries, rose gardens and pastures where sheep graze. It's a madcap charm that would touch the most insensitive soul in the world, especially after the last visitors have left. Because at Leeds Castle, you can let yourself in after the gates have closed. It's even encouraged. "We offer a wide range of stay options on the estate"explains Shane Guy, Public Relations Manager. While the cottages, which have been refurbished as luxury B&Bs, are very popular at weekends, incentive groups can take advantage of an even more tempting offer: dinner and overnight accommodation in the château, provided you rent it for 24 hours. In this case, choose from thirteen refurbished attics or, much more stylishly, seven royally elegant rooms, furnished as they were in the days of Lady Baillie, the last owner of the castle.

A wealthy Anglo-American, Lady Baillie was renowned in the 1930s for her sumptuous receptions, which attracted the whole of Hollywood. Today, the party goes on: champagne in the dining room, which inspired that of the White House, piano in the Chinese lounge and petits fours in the 3,000-volume library. "We can accommodate over 100 people at table in the large dining room".adds Shane Guy. Through the arched windows, you can see black swans silently gliding across the water. Time no longer exists... However, the equipment resolutely belongs to the 21st century. "The castle is 900 years old, but offers WiFi everywhere".concludes Shane Guy. When it comes to activities, you're spoilt for choice: golf, an introduction to falconry, a helicopter tour of the estate or exploring the underground passages... Everything is possible at "loveliest castle in the worldas a nineteenth-century chronicler called it.

Peaceful orchards

Another time, another place, this time in Hever, a castle where Anne Boleyn once reigned. It was in front of a peaceful orchard, within the walls of a Norman castle, that the damsel who turned the royal head grew up, before losing it herself, many years later, under the iron of her cruel husband Henry VIII. Standing in front of the fortress of her childhood, almost identical to what they say in the fairy tales, we wonder how these enchanting walls could have led to such a sad fate. Dating back to 1272, Hever went through three major periods. The first was when a Norman family settled behind a sturdy wall to protect themselves from Anglo-Saxon invasions. The second period began in 1462 with the construction of the interior, where Anne's grandfather added half-timbered walls and pretty rooms with gigantic four-poster beds.

However, what we see today is the work of William Astor. In 1903, the wealthy American, owner of the TimesHe bought a veritable ruin and transformed it into a family home. He added Elizabethan-style woodwork and stuccowork, which blended into the ensemble with virtuosity. Above all, he had a 'Tudor village' built adjoining the castle, in the English Renaissance style, which he designed for the convenience of his visitors. The place was an illusion; it looked as if it had been built five centuries ago. "There are 21 five-star standard rooms as well as beautiful lounges for corporate events".explains Vivien Oldfield, Marketing Director. The place, which is absolutely calm, is a labyrinth of small corridors and large lounges, such as the Tudor meeting room and its sublime fireplace, which is still lit on special occasions.

Here, as in Leeds, castle life is possible for an evening and a few fun activities. "For the launch of a video game about the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, we organised a medieval banquet and an introduction to the dances of the Tudor period".says Vivien Oldfield. From archery lessons to helicopter flights and water jousting, anything is possible. Even discovering, with an experienced botanist, the roses of the Italian garden, whose construction, including the creation of a lake, required the employment of 800 men. Astor wanted to rediscover the atmosphere of an imaginary Pompeii, where he could scatter the dozens of antique sculptures he had brought back from Rome at the end of his term as ambassador.

"2013 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the château's opening to the public".concludes Vivien Oldfield. It's been a real success, with 250,000 visitors each year discovering the place where Henry VIII fell madly in love with Anne Boleyn. To woo her better, he would hide away in another castle, a few miles away, pretending to be on a hunting trip so as not to arouse suspicion... Penshurst Place, built in 1341, was first a rich merchant's forest house, then a veritable palace when it passed into the hands of the wealthy Duke of Buckingham. To show his power, the Duke organised a sumptuous party in honour of Henry VIII. To reward him for his audacity and excessive wealth, the King had him executed and took possession of the premises...

Tragic destinies

The park at Leeds Castle lends itself to a multitude of activities, with its boxwood maze, archery school, tree climbing course and 9-hole golf course.

Built in the 14th century for a wealthy merchant who became Mayor of London, Penshurst Place was once home to Henry VIII, who came here both to hunt and to maintain his romance with Anne Boleyn.

Was it a political strategy, such as Fouquet's under Louis XIV, or a true love affair? In any case, it was from these thick sandstone walls that Henry paid secret visits to his lady and that, it is said, he also seduced her sister Mary. It is because this royal figure was so closely linked to Penshurst Place that, for its 500th anniversary, 'heraldic gardens' were planted in Henry VIII's honour. "For 660 years, the castle's owners have been cultivating gardens".says Verity Clarke, the official guide. Today, you can visit thirteen of them, preferably in June, when the roses are in bloom. But, of all the gardens, it's the Union Jack Garden that really stands out: red, white and lavender roses form an English flag that can be admired from the air or from a platform at the foot of the huge flowerbed.

The Canterbury Tales

Although you don't sleep at the castle, most of which is inhabited, you do dine and, of course, party there. Particularly in the gigantic Baron's Hall, one of the rare vestiges of medieval domestic architecture that can accommodate up to 140 people. The era of the troubadours suddenly comes to life under the high chestnut roof structure supported by bizarre sculptures, caricatures of the workers in the medieval house. "In Kent, generally speaking, only fortified castles remain. This 12th centurye century is unique".says Verity Clarke.

It was from Canterbury that the Christianisation of England began, but it was also here that the separation between the Catholic Church and the British crown took shape, when Henry VIII broke with the Vatican to marry his favourite Anne Boleyn. The centre of Anglican spiritual power, Canterbury Cathedral is a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles.

With its stained glass windows dating from the end of the 12th century, the cathedral is part of a UNESCO-listed ensemble, along with the church of Saint-Martin and the ruins of the abbey of Saint-Augustin.

To round off this whirlwind tour of royal love affairs, we head for Canterbury and its cathedral, founded in 597 by the monk Augustine, who came to Christianise the British Isles. The city owes its fame to its Catholic archbishop, Thomas Beckett, who was murdered there in 1170 and was said to work miracles. Geoffrey Chaucer recounted the pilgrimages that followed in his famous Canterbury Taleslater staged by Pasolini. At the end of the 14th century, the cathedral was transformed into a Gothic jewel, complete with magnificent stained glass windows. "The most important collection in Englandsays Sandra Heyworth, spokesperson for the venue.

But what really made Canterbury famous, this garden city through which the River Stour flows, was the birth of the Anglican Church in the 1530s. Having broken with Rome after being refused a divorce from Catherine of Aragon by Pope Clement VII, Henry VIII proclaimed himself supreme head of the New Church of England so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. He gave the new Bishop of Canterbury the title of "primate".

For business groups discovering the secret crypts and chapels of this formidable religious complex, there is nothing more grandiose than a dinner given in the promenoir of the former convent. Push open a hidden door and, miraculously, you find yourself in a square of sculpted vaults, surrounded by a flower garden. "We organise events in one of the rooms in the Promenade, with the option of setting up the cocktail party outside".continues Sandra Heyworth.

The place is simply magical. "You can also sleep on site, in one of the 28 rooms, all of which have a view of the cathedral".says Sandra Heyworth. For seminars, a round wooden conference centre can accommodate up to 250 people. Peace on earth, in the evening, when the air is mild, when the gates that close off the episcopal estate are closed... A relative calm since, it is said, the night is suitable for ghostly mischief...