For those of you stranded at Gatwick, there’s something you might be able to do while waiting …

I pushed the car further, its engine eating up asphalt for breakfast this fine morning.  I had just driven off the Eurotunnel’s train and was tearing up the M20 heading for London.

It was rather early in the morning (I left home at 6am) and the only reason I could not hear my stomach rumbling is because the engine was loud enough to shield it.  I pulled into the first service stop I found and frowned when I realised that, unlike in Belgium or Germany, I would have to pay to park here.  The first two hours are free though which is usually enough time for breakfast.

Fed and refreshed, I looked at my watch and realised that I had a few hours to kill before my rendezvous.  I pointed the car back at the M20 and kept a close eye out for signs to “Leeds Castle” that I had noticed earlier.  I had never heard of the place but figured that this would be a pleasant way to spend a morning.

I arrived just as it was about to open.  Ticket in hand, I headed in.

You first walk through luscious and carefully tended gardens that are landscaped to a T.  The phrase “perfectly manicured” lawns sprung to mind as I knelt beside an off-shoot of the river that runs through the estate, eager to get a good shot.

The castle itself is hidden from view from the road. Walking through a copse, around a bend in the river and suddenly seeing the castle in front of you is a breath-taking sight.  It sits on an island in the river and I joined the other visitors as we walked across the stone bridge that leads up to it.

Inside, I ignored the French students who were on a day trip and sauntered through the rooms, soaking up the history and the well-preserved artefacts from another age.  Curiously, the library is very well stocked and has a number of first editions as well as items that are rather rare these days.

All in all, the walk around the estate and castle took me two hours but had I chosen to explore the gardens a little more, I could have easily doubled that. Entry cost me GBP 17.50 and the ticket is valid for an entire year so I can go back without having to buy a new one.

Note that I was not sponsored to write this article or to advertise Leeds Castle. It was, literally, an unexpected surprise.

Unexpected castles on your commute? Leave us a comment and tell us about them!