Leeds, Kent

Leeds is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England.

Location
The village is located 5 mi to the east of Maidstone, the county town of Kent.

Etymology
It appeared in the Domesday Book as Esledes, possibly referring to a stream name. It is so called because the village is on the hillside above the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway. An alternative explanation for the name is that it derived its name from Ledian, who built the first wooden fortress here in 978.

Notable features
St Nicholas's Church has the second largest Norman tower in England. Leeds Priory was dissolved in 1539. To the east of the village is Leeds Castle. The church and the castle are Grade I listed buildings and the site of the priory is a scheduled monument.

To the west and between Otham and Leeds the area of Caring is located. Caring has a number of modern farmhouses, in the style of an Oast house. Another attraction is the old Vineyard, a free tourist feature.

It also has a primary school, Leeds and Broomfield Church of England Primary.