Stone Staircase -- Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent, UK
N 51° 14.933 E 000° 37.833
31U E 334637 N 5680169
A historic marker in the Leeds Castle tells of the stone staircase and the various coats of arms along its walls
Waymark Code: WMT53B
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/27/2016
Views: 0
The waymark coordinates are for the entrance of Leeds castle. Being a solid stone castle, a GPS will not work inside.
Leeds Castle is famed for its beauty and history. Today, it is open to the public for tours, events, and conferences. Your admission ticket gets you inside and on an informative guided tour of the castle, with some free time to explore the beautiful and historic grounds as well.
This historic marker stands at the Stone Staircase in the New Castle.
The interpretive sign reads as follows:
"STONE STAIRCASE
You are now back in the New Castle, designed in 1822 by William Baskett (1782-1842) for Fiennes Wykeham Martin. By the early 20th century the Wykeham Martin’s estate was one of the largest in Kent, mainly thanks to the investment of Fienne’s son, Charles Wykeham Martin (1801-1870). The family were later hit hard by death duties, so Charles great-grandson, Fairfax Wykeham Martin (1887-1952), who never lived at the castle, sold the estate in 1926.
On the upper landing is a portrait of Catherine Culpeper (c 1665-1719) as a child by Adriaen Hanneman (1603-1671). In 1710, she inherited the castle and land in Virginia from her mother, Margaret, Lady Culpeper, widow of the second Lord Culpeper.
Halfway down the staircase, there is another portrait of Catherine as Lady Fairfax, following her marriage to the fifth Lord Fairfax, by William Wissing, (1657-1687).
At the bottom of the stairs hangs a portrait of Charles Wykeham Martin, by James Godsell Middleton, (1805-1874). Part of the castle, which he owned 1840-70 and can be seen in the background of the painting.
The five funeral hatchets (coats of arms of a deceased person) are for members of the Wykeham Martin family. These would originally have hung above the entrance to the castle, to announce to visitors and passersby that a death that occurred."
Type of Historic Marker: Interpretive sign
Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Leeds Castle Foundation
Age/Event Date: 01/01/1822
Related Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please submit your visiting log with a picture of the object and include some interesting information about your visit.