Hever Castle and Gardens Kent

Hever Castle and Gardens, Kent

History | William Waldorf Astor | Access

With its parapets, moat, ghosts, armour and gruesome torture devices, Hever Castle is what most people imagine an English castle to be.

Castle keep

History of the Castle

The original Hever Castle was built in 1270. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Hever Castle was home to the powerful Boleyn family. The castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. The marriage of Henry and Anne led to the King renouncing Catholicism, dissolving England’s monasteries, and creating the Church of England.

The castle was later owned by another of King Henry VIII’s wives, Anne of Cleves, who married Henry in 1540.

Garden entrance

William Waldorf Astor

After a period of decline, William Waldorf Astor, a wealthy American, restored the castle. Astor built the Tudor Village, which is now called the Astor Wing as well as the lovely gardens and a lake.

The castle’s panelled rooms contain fine furniture, tapestries, antiques, and one of the UK’s finest collection of Tudor portraits.

The castle as seen from above; Hever Castle and Gardens

Access – Getting There

Hever Castle, Hever Rd, Hever
Edenbridge
Kent TN8 7NG
Tel: 01732 865224
Sat nav: Post Code TN8 7NG
(www.hevercastle.co.uk)

Hever Castle. Kent

The castle is off Hever Road. It is also close to Penshurst Place, a country house with gardens. The castle is northwest of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Trains from London Victoria and London Bridge (via Oxted or East Croydon) run to Edenbridge Town Station. From here taxis are easily available. From the next station Hever Station, the castle is a 1-mile rural walk.

If you wish to stay in this area of southeast England, Tunbridge Wells is your best location. If you wish you can also stay at the castle in the Hever Castle Luxury Bed & Breakfast. Book this accommodation

See here for a listing of hotels in Tunbridge Wells.