Leeds Castle may look like an ancient castle but in reality parts of the building are only 200 years old. It's a classic example of the Victorians tinkering with history and making it look like Tudor architecture. The castle stands on the site of the Royal Manor built in 857 and it is featured in the Domesday Book. The royal ownership of castle started in 1278 when King Edward I made extensive improvements. The castle subsequently became home to six of England's queens. One of its most famous residents was King Henry VIII who transformed it into a home for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. During the 1660s it became a place of detention for French prisoners - as a result some disrepair occurred following the outbreak of a fire. In 1719 the castle was passed to the Fairfax family who made large scale improvements. By 1821 Victorian tastes had changed, and the Wykeham Martin family made yet more improvements, rebuilding part of the castle. Today the castle is a major visitor attraction and also boasts a museum featuring a collection of dog collars dating back to the 16th Century. The formal gardens are another man made wonder including a maze with a secret underground grotto. | 
