Leeds Castle is to change its name to ‘Kent Castle’ in a move it hopes will end confusion over its location.
Leeds Castle has been located in the village of Leeds near Maidstone in Kent for over 900 years, however staff say they regularly encounter misunderstandings with people wishing to visit, believing it to be some 240 miles away in Yorkshire.
The decision to rebrand Leeds Castle to ‘Kent Castle’ comes after a string of incidents from lost visitors phoning from Yorkshire for directions, wedding guests who have missed the big day by going to the wrong venue and holiday-makers booking overnight accommodation in Leeds and discovering the next morning that a taxi to the Castle would cost them over £500.
A few years ago, one couple mistakenly travelled to Yorkshire for Leeds Castle’s annual open-air classical concert, before realising they had gone to the wrong ‘Leeds’ and catching the first train to Kent, arriving just in time for the second half of the event.
The confusion over the name and location of Leeds Castle has even led to it appearing on ITV’s ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ and more recently, becoming a ‘Pointless’ question on the BBC quiz show.
Helen Bonser-Wilton, Leeds Castle Chief Executive said:
“It was a big decision to rebrand Leeds Castle after 900 years to ‘Kent Castle’, but after years of issues with our identity, we feel it is time for a change. We hope this move will make it easier for people to find us, sitting proudly as one of the South East’s most visited attractions and located right in the heart of Kent”.
Kent Castle is located near Maidstone in Kent just off Junction 8 of the M20 and only one hour’s drive from London. Not in Yorkshire.
