[AJR]

From the BBC News Website, 4th November 2004

Castle tower undergoes renovation
Visitors to Leeds Castle in Kent have been told they will not be affected by a £250,000 regeneration project spanning the next four months.
The Maiden's Tower at the castle, near Maidstone, dates back to the 16th Century and is having its roof repaired and other major structural work.
Until a few years ago, it had been used as a home by the castle's last private owner, Susan Remington-Hobbs.
Castle spokesman Derek Horton said the work would preserve the building.
'Major step forward'
He said it was the first phase of a "once-in-a-generation renovation project" which would help ensure the beauty of the castle was maintained for future visitors.
The project includes restoration work on the exterior walls, which will see 900 pieces of Kentish ragstone re-pointed and re-faced.
The interior of the Maiden's Tower will also be completely renovated.
Victoria Wallace, managing director of the castle, said the work marked a major step forward.
"This is a moment when we are beginning to think how we want to use it in the future after it was used for a very long time as a private residence," she said.

[Duncan]

I'm impressed, I wasn't aware of the last owner living in the tower and hope when they renovate they at least leave a plaque to her.

[AJR]

A couple of old postcards of Leeds Castle, from my collection.

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[Laureen]

What a pretty piece of history Leeds is....

[AJR]

Two more old postcards recently purchased.

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[AJR]

From www.managinginformation.com, 14th March 2006

Leeds Castle Library Spring Clean Completed

The magnificent library at Leeds Castle, near Maidstone in Kent, has just completed its bi-annual spring clean. With around 3,000 books including special editions to be checked and cleaned, the daunting task has taken a team of eight volunteers five days to complete.

Leading the project was heritage manager, Nic Fulcher, who rolled up his sleeves to work alongside the volunteers. Their methodical approach involved removing the books row-by-row, press-by-press, book-by-book and storing them in the correct order before the shelf could be cleaned.

Each book was then dusted with a sable brush and inspected for signs of wear and tear. Finally, the cleaned books were checked against the master catalogue to ensure none were missing, before being returned to the shelves.

Since this part of the castle’s construction in 1822, the room has had several uses. Lady Baillie, the castle’s last private owner, first used it in the 1920s as a schoolroom for her daughters’ early education. The room was then redesigned as a library by Stéphane Boudin in 1938 in the style of the late 17th century.

Five pale cream panelled bookcases spanning three walls give the library a light, spacious feel, accentuated by high arched windows draped in pink and ivory silk curtains. Above each shelf sit Chinese and Japanese 18th century vases and globes, while beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers – another of Lady Baillie’s passions – scent the room.

On the shelves are books from Lady Baillie’s collection and from the library of her father, Lord Queenborough. The collections reflect her wide interests, from a number of rare illustrated books on birds, to reference works on antiques and art. They also include original designs by Inigo Jones and Hogarth, a wonderful 18th Century illustrated guide to Herculaenum, and a first edition of a French encyclopaedia, dating from 1751. One corner houses the complete works of Sir Winston Churchill, some of which are signed first editions, which delighted his youngest daughter, Mary Soames, when she visited the castle last year.

The library is located in the private rooms used for conferences, meetings, receptions, dinners and banquets. It is open to visitors whenever possible, so they can experience this haven of tranquillity within the castle.

Castle heritage manager Nic Fulcher said: “Careful handling, cleaning and inspection of the books is essential for their preservation, not only as objects of virtue, but for the information and history they contain. I am pleased that we are often able to display the collection for the enjoyment of our visitors, especially in such beautiful surroundings.”

[AJR]

From the BBC Website, 20th April 2006

Restored tower gives up secrets

A fossil dating from 200 million years ago was among the hidden secrets uncovered during restoration work at Leeds Castle in Kent. The nautilus fossil was found while worn stones were being replaced in the 16th Century Maiden's Tower.

Workmen also found a piece of Kentish ragstone that had been re-used in a previous restoration and may date back to an earlier tower on the site. The completed work has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime facelift.

Two new exhibitions in the Maiden's Tower are to be opened at the beginning of June by Princess Alexandra.

The first, called The Collection of a Gentleman, will have 24 paintings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries by artists such as Gainsborough, Constable, Reynolds and Landseer.

The second will be a mixture of items from the castle's 900-year-old history, many of which have been hidden in attics and storerooms for years.

[Gordon]

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Kentish ragstone that had been re-used in a previous restoration and may date back to an earlier tower on the site.

That always puzzles me, how can they date stone? They can date workmanship on stones by style, but they always refer to dating the stone.
I've come across this before in a book about the Stone of Destiny, and they argued that the stone had been quarried at a certain date. They could locate the quarry due to the inclusions in the stone, but since they were talking about the stone being a fake, the style didn't date it.
There bust be some way of dating stone or ascertaining when it was quarried, can anyone enlighten me?

[Duncan]

Possible the date might be found from the rock strata in the quarry it self and from when that depth was worked.

[AJR]

Thanks - I must admit I was in the dark about that one