A castle has stood here since 857, when a Saxon chief named Led owned it and built a wooden structure on two islands in the River Len. Robert de Crevecoeur rebuilt it in stone in 1119, though its form is uncertain. Edward I's queen, Eleanor of Castile, bought it in 1278, while the introduction says Edward himself came into possession. He strengthened the defenses, probably created the surrounding lake, built a barbican spanning three islands and added a gloriette with royal apartments.
Henry VIII transformed it in 1519 for Catherine of Aragon. The article describes the present appearance as a Tudor-style remodel completed in 1823, though the listing says partly rebuilt in 1822.
Lady Baillie bought the castle in 1926 and redecorated it with Armand-Albert Rateau and Stéphane Boudin. The gardens opened in 1975 and the castle in 1976, and 468,574 people visited in 2025. The article gives no dimensions.
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