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Leeds Castle Motors By The Moat – Read Before You Go

Leeds Castle Motors by the Moat – Yesterday we visited Leeds Castle to attend their Motors by the Moat weekend event which is included in the admission ticket price. Back for another year due to popular demand Motors by the Lake gives attendees the chance to enjoy a vehicle-themed day out. There is so much to do that we struggled to fit it all in. So I thought I would share a rundown of what you will see and also some top tips to make the most of your day. It was the perfect weekend for it.

AD – We were invited by the Leeds Castle Foundation for the purpose of this review. All words and opinions are our own.

Table of Contents

What Will You See at Motors by the Moat

When you first enter the castle grounds there is a poster showing the programme of live stunt events that are taking place throughout the day. Snap a photo of this since it is easy to lose track of time with so much to do. The main events take place on the castle lawns, which is where we headed when we arrived. On route, we walked past several different setups of the secret lives of woodland animals, which kept Harry entertained on the walk-up.

Terry Grant Stunt Man

Make sure during your visit you get a chance to watch Terry Grant. The International stunt driver who you may not have heard of before. But I can pretty much guarantee that you have probably seen him on film. He is a world record holder and has appeared in many of the Bond films as well as being a Guinness world record holder (twenty-seven times over). He gave us a jaw-dropping stunt routine over the course of half an hour.

Appearing twice during the day. With doughnuts, getting out of a moving vehicle and standing on top of it, crowd participation and testing of the breaks, he flew up and down The Drive. Before attempting to drive a Ranger Rover Sport SVR on two wheels.

‘DJR’ Freestyle Jet Ski Team

This was probably my favourite event during the day. The DJR Freestyle Jet Ski Team put on an incredible performance with huge aerial tricks in the castle’s moat. I was very impressed with what they managed to do with jet skis with the magnificent backdrop of the castle. As there is a small hill there is plenty of opportunity to be able to see all the tricks. They appeared three times during the day giving you ample opportunity to see them.

Car Displays

Spread out across the castle lawns there was a wide range of different cars grouped together. With everything from kit cars to American cars to old military vehicles. Although it was the high-performance range of Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche and a whole host of limited edition vehicles that really caught the boy’s attention. They were trying to decide which one they were going to have when they got older.

I much preferred the immensely popular classic cars and the DB5 that we found in the castle grounds. Along with all the cars, there were also a couple of dealership stands showcasing the newest luxury models.

Fairground

For the younger ones there were several mini fairground rides, which carried on until the castle closed at 5.30 pm. You do need to pay extra for these.

Live Music & Food

Behind the cars there was a large grass area with a collection of different street food vendors and a stage set up. It gave it very much a festival vibe as you tried out the delicious food and drink with live music performances. I was very impressed with the variety and that there were non-alcoholic options with zero beer and mocktails.

The band was very good with the lead singer interacting with the children that were dancing along to some classics. You could not help but tap your foot too. There was also plenty of other entertainment around the area.

Parade

This is definitely worth trying to catch. Especially if you have younger ones that have a thing for cars with high horsepower engines as they go tearing down the drive. The boys really enjoyed seeing some of the sleek cars go driving past. I much preferred the older models.

Leeds Castle

Along with all of the wonderful vehicle-themed entertainment, you can enter the castle and learn about the remarkable history of the Castle. Previously it was owned and used by Henry VIII and his Tudor queens.

Before becoming a 1930s country house retreat of Lady Baillie. You see her influence and story throughout the castle as you wander from room to room. Although it was busy when we visited we still managed to see everything of interest. You can also pick up an audio tour to supplement your visit.

Children’s Play Area

Where do I start? There is so much for kids here that if you go to this area first there is a good chance that you will not leave. You can reach this part of the castle grounds by using the Black Swan Ferry which glides you gently across the lake for £1 per person.

Multiple adventure play areas await, inviting children to explore including an area with some short zip lines. There is also an assault course, maze and temporary beach which has the softest sand. Not to mention an attractive-looking adventure mini golf which was reasonably priced at £3.50 for an adult and £3 for a child.

Right next door is the Falconry. When we visited they had their show on at 2 pm and a meet the birds session at 3.30 pm. For those older kids, there is also the opportunity to take part in a Segway Tour for an extra cost.

Top Tips for a Visit to Leeds Castle Motors by the Moat

If you are planning on visiting Motors by the Moat at Leeds Castle then here are some tips to make the most of your day:

Try and plan your day in advance since there is so much to see and do in the castle grounds. Details of the day’s events and lineup are on the website. So you can plan to see the shows at the best time for you. Depending on if you want to fit in the Falconry show at 2 pm.
The event opens at 10 am and I would suggest that you arrive early to make the most of your day. We arrived around 11 am and didn’t leave until it finished. Yet I wasn’t sure we managed to fit in as much as we would have liked.
Take a picnic blanket so that you can enjoy the festival vibe and sit on the lawn soaking up the life music.
Get the stunt show early as it is very popular and really you want to be close to the barriers. Unlike the jet skis where there is a natural incline The Drive is all on the flat so it can be hard for little ones to see.
There are plenty of gift shops located throughout the grounds. All selling something slightly different so be warned and come armed with pocket money. Especially for the one in the children’s play area.
The adventure playground, zip wires and sand pits get extremely busy, especially towards the afternoon and shade was lacking so bring the sun hats!
With everything that is going on it is easy to miss things so try and make time for the challenging maze and grotto. We ran out of time but it is on our list for a return visit in the future.

For more information

For more information on Leeds Castle Motors by the Moat and the other special events that they run throughout the year, head to their website for more information.

We had a great day. Have you visited the Motors by the Lake event? Let me know in the comments below. We can not wait for our next Leeds Castle adventure.