Hever Castle, Kent

England has a long history, and reminders of this history can be found all around the country. Each year hundreds of thousands of people visit the castles and stately homes spread around the country to take in this history, and the county of Kent is blessed with a number of these visitor attractions. One of the most popular of these castles is Hever Castle, near to Sevenoaks, with a history linked to Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII.

Visitors to Hever Castle are drawn by two main interests, the history of the English monarchy and also a love of the classic English garden.

Hever Castle - Charlesdrakew - Released into PD

History of Hever Castle

The history of Hever Castle goes back to 1270 when the gatehouse and walled bailey were constructed. The castle was then purchased by Geoffrey Boleyn in 1462 where it was to become the seat of the Boleyn family. Thus for a brief period it was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, although she was to spend much of her early life in the Netherlands and France. Anne Boleyn never actually owned Hever Castle as it was owned by her father Thomas Boleyn. As the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn predeceased her father by dying in 1536 when executed. Although disgraced by the disgrace of his daughter, Thomas was allowed to live out his life in the castle, where he died in 1539. The death of Thomas without a living male heir saw Hever Castle pass into the ownership of the crown, and Henry VIII saw fit to give it to Anne of Cleves once their marriage was annulled. There is little evidence though to suggest that Anne of Cleves took up residence in the castle and it eventually was sold to the Waldgrave family in 1557.

From 1749 the castle passed into the hands of the Meade Waldo family, who tended to lease the building out to tenants. This though did see the castle neglected in its upkeep, and it was only through the purchase of Hever Castle by William Waldorf Astor that money was once again invested into it. Astor invested a proportion of his millions into the castle and grounds and did much to shape what is now seen by the general public.

The most modern incarnation of Hever Castle has only occurred in the last thirty years when it was turned into a tourist attraction by Broadland Properties Limited. With the castle and grounds opened to the public attractions have been created, these include the traditional portrait and tapestry galleries. Long established exhibits include also a museum dedicated to the Yeomanry of Kent, as well as weapons and instruments of torture. There is also currently an exhibit entitled “Losing Your Head Over Henry” with the castle playing up its links to Henry VIII, this link is also seen with the wanderings of costumed actors and actresses around the castle.

Hever Castle Gardens - Charlesdrakew - Released into PD

Today at Hever Castle 
 
There are some 125 acres of gardens in the grounds of Hever Castle, with most laid out during the early years of the twentieth century. A thousand men were employed under the direction of Joseph Cheal and Son during the period from 1904 to 1908 to construct the 35 acre lake and the gardens. This construction saw the creation of the Italian Garden specifically designed to host the collection of Italian sculpture amassed by William Waldorf Astor.

The garden is also made up of a Rose Garden that is planted up with over three thousand plants. There are also a number of planned walks including those through the Tudor Garden, the Anne Boleyn Walk, Sunday Walk and Rhododendron Walk. The newest walk though is the Hever Lake Walk that was only opened in 2008.

There are a number of other water features to admire in the garden other than the large lake. There is the new Millennium Fountain, but also the more established loggia fountain based on the design of Rome’s Trevi fountain, as well as the Half Moon Pond and Cascade Rockery.

The gardens also host two of the most famous mazes in the country. There is a yew maze, planted during the time of Astor, as well as a newer water maze. Certainly be prepared to get wet if you decide to risk the water maze on Sixteen Acre Island, although the children certainly don’t seem to mind the risk.

The north side of Hever Castle - Charlesdrakew - Released into PD

Since ownership for Hever Castle has passed to Broadland Properties Limited, the castle has been slowly changed into a more widely appealing tourist attraction. To this end the grounds of Hever Castle play host to recreations of medieval battle fields and jousts, with the inclusion of jousting tournaments and archery competitions during the summer months.

Prices for entrance to the castle and the gardens are currently a reasonable price when compared to many other English stately homes. Prices vary on the time of the year that Hever Castle is being visited, and this is because the opening times and the number of exhibits open vary throughout the year. In general terms the gardens open at 10:45am with the castle opening at midday. It is a good idea to visit the Hever Castle website prior to a visit to ensure that the attractions are open.

All in Hever Castle makes for a good day out for all the family, and although many children will not be as interested as adults by the castle and the maze, the owners of Hever Castle have added many attractions to entertain in other ways.

Copyright - First Published 21st September 2008