Kent's Leeds Castle opens luxury Lakeside Lodges
Maidstone venue has opened lodges with private terraces and outdoor bathtubs
Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, Kent, has opened four lakeside lodges with private terraces and outdoor bathtubs, offering a serene getaway surrounded by nature.
Accessed via a private walkway that meanders through the Lady Baillie Mediterranean Garden Terraces, the Lodges enable guests to enjoy direct entry to the historic Grade I listed Leeds Castle, steeped in more than 900 years of history.
Guests can relax on their private deck while appreciating the melodious bird songs, offering glimpses of Blue Tits, robins, and Goldcrests darting among the trees, and swans, ducks, and wildfowl gliding along the Great Water. A picturesque scene to enjoy while having a soak in the luxurious outdoor sleek black bathtub.
Equipped with binoculars, the Lakeside Lodges provide a floor-to-ceiling window through which to observe wildlife across the expansive Great Water, while guests can admire the night sky through the stargazing rooflight directly above the beds.
Each lodge includes a walk-in shower, fluffy robes and slippers, Noble Isle toiletries and a hairdryer as well as complimentary snacks, tea and coffee making facilities.
Each Lakeside Lodge has been named after an influential figure with links to the castle and county, including Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series, who referenced Leeds Castle in The Moonraker, and was also a frequent guest of Lady Baillie’s at Leeds Castle; actor, playwright and composer Noel Coward, once a guest at Leeds Castle and has links to Kent - both Noel and Ian Fleming owned house on St Margaret’s seafront; writer Dame Daphne du Maurier who once stayed at Leeds Castle and allegedly declared she needed binoculars to see the other side of her room; and actress, singer and dancer Gertrude Lawrence who visited Leeds Castle with Noel Coward – it was also rumoured she had a relationship with Daphne du Maurier.
Together, Leeds Castle’s seamstress and local artist Petronella Hall, have crafted distinctive soft furnishings adorned with an exclusive design, by Petronella Hall, inspired by the enchanting local wildlife residing within the castle grounds, offering a truly one-of-a-kind design in the lodges.
Designed by Koto, the lodges feature sculptural forms that maximise natural light, connecting guests with the outside world. Sustainability takes the lead in both design and production of the lodges. Built using UK-grown timber and home-grown charred larch to minimise carbon footprint, carbon dioxide is captured in the fabric of the building and actively removed from the atmosphere, creating a carbon neutral space.
