Day 2: Leed Castle

In the evening, there are isolated showers, luckily we have finished the preparations for the night and can quickly move everything indoors. It also rains in the early morning and intermittently throughout the day. Today we sleep in and have breakfast. We reach Leed Castle, which is 4 km away, at around 10 o'clock. We walk through a beautiful park with ponds, old trees, and blooming flowers for 15 minutes. Then the castle appears in front of us. We participate in an audiovisual presentation that shows us the history of the castle from the perspective of its 7 queens. One of them is also the first wife of Henry VIII.
In its over 1000 years of existence, the castle has survived many battles, housed powerful statesmen, and inspired numerous artists. With the help of an audio guide, we visit the rooms and see many different eras. The furnishings from the last century are particularly detailed. Afterwards, we take advantage of the park's amenities such as the large playgrounds in the style of medieval castles, a labyrinth with a grotto, and a large sandbox with lounge chairs to relax.
We also watch a falconry demonstration, and the flights of the desert buzzard, caracaras, and owls are impressive. They fly right above our heads. Unfortunately, the guide speaks so fast and much that we can hardly catch any facts. Afterwards, we leave the premises around 3 pm and drive about an hour north to the Greater London area. We stay at the pre-booked campsite for 5 days and settle in. We are also warned about foxes on the site, which steal shoes, so we don't leave anything outside. After dinner, we look for the way to the metro station and quickly find it, so we are well prepared for tomorrow.