For Trips Day this half term, Year 12 & 13 Sixth Form students visited Leeds Castle. We arrived at Leeds Castle in the morning and had a chance to explore the castle and grounds, an excellent opportunity to stretch our legs and enrich our historical knowledge. 

The castle grounds looked stunning in the January morning frost, and we were lucky enough to have beautiful sunlight on our faces as we admired the striking views of the frozen estate. The castle itself was a sight to behold. Leeds Castle was built in 857 AD and originally belonged to a Saxon royal family. Since then, the castle has been home to many historical figures, the most famous being Henry VIII, who transformed the castle for his first wife Catherine of Aragon. The interior of the castle is decorated to how it might have looked under different owners - one room was designed to look like we were visiting a 1920’s soiree, complete with music and a projector that transferred the silhouettes of people dancing onto a wall.  

Leeds Castle’s maze was another highlight of the trip. The maze tested team-building skills and logic. Everyone had their own approach to the maze: some went through as a group, others took it on as a solo mission. Leeds Castle is also home to a bird of prey centre – there we met a falcon, a Russian Steppe Eagle, and some owls. It was interesting to see birds that don’t commonly fly around Blackheath! 

As Sixth Formers we enjoyed the independence of being able to take in the castle and grounds at our own pace. Some made a beeline for the maze, while others took a leisurely stroll around the grounds and revived themselves with a warm meal and a hot drink in the castle’s restaurant. The Leeds Castle trip was great to blow the January cobwebs away, venturing out of the busyness of the city and into the peaceful Kent countryside. 

Written by Grace, Year 12