Hever Castle

As a history major and buff, I can’t get enough of the castles, palaces, gardens, chateaus of bygone days. Hever Castle is a very special place with spectacularly beautiful grounds, mazes, moats, knot gardens, lakes, miniatures, and of course the castle itself. A beautiful swan greeted us as we arrived. Evidently his kin had all been slaughtered by marauding wild animals. As the only survivor of the massacre he smartly stands right by the ticket booth and the sign to buy food to feed him. And he’s very friendly. The castle itself is beautiful inside and out. The childhood home of Anne Boleyn, you’ll witness gorgeous tapestries, furnishings, painting, and handwritten letters. You’ll also learn the legacy of the wives of King Henry VIII. We visited on a rainy day and it was still spectacular. Lots of events throughout the year transpire here. Don’t miss the gardens, rain or shine you’ll be inspired. Hever Castle is a remarkable gem. Entrance fee for Castle and Gardens is 40 pounds per person. Discounts for seniors, students, and kids under 15.

Hever Castle is one of the most beautiful chocolate box castles I’ve visited, and one of the best preserved tudor homes in England. We visited on the very first weekend of opening for the spring season in late February and it was a great time to visit — the snowdrops were out and the gardens were very peaceful.
Hever is a great day out: there’s the history of the castle with helpful guides on hand to tell you about each room, there’s miles of gardens and walks to explore, including the lovely Japanese tea house part-​way round the lake, and there’s a range of cafes serving lunch and afternoon tea.
It’s a great place to take the family or to go as a couple.
We travelled by train to Hever from Waterloo, changing once. The journey takes just over an hour but is worth it — with a lovely walk through Hever village to compliment the countryside.

The entrance price may seem a little steep (15 pounds) but it is SO worth it! The castle itself is absolutely gorgeous and is set up as a museum that you can walk through. The old furniture it contains is beautiful and lots of interesting facts about the Boelyn family. The gardens are absolutely stunning and massive. There is also a beautiful lake that you can take boat rides in. A super fun water maze at the back — for kids and adults! A yummy café with basic drinks and yummy treats. Also a nursery that sells lots of beautiful plants and flowers. A lovely rose garden, lots of fun little walking trails. A brilliant kids play ground. You could spend hours and hours here exploring everything and relaxing on the gorgeous grounds.

Hever Castle is a great castle to check out.
As it’s a bit off the beaten path, it seems less popular with tourists. A good friend of mine who is enamoured of the Tudors was in town and really wanted to check out Hever, so we hopped on a train and had a little adventure.
If you arrive by train, you have the option of calling a cab (boring) or taking the footpath to the castle (more fun!). The footpath is really more of a ramble that takes you through a few pastures and along a couple country roads and eventually brings you to the gates of the castle grounds. The walk is about a mile and half the journey is covered with brambles where we happily picked berries and nibbled as we walked.
The castle itself is quite pretty, but not restored to one time period or another as it reflects the changing ownership & styles of life there over the past many centuries. The grounds also have lovely manicured gardens, a garden shop, a café, and a lake that offers boat rental. When we went there was also some sort of family event on offer where you could try you hand at archery, etc. Fun!
While not as big or offering as much access to the grounds as other castles, Hever is still really worth the visit and is incredibly easy to get to from London.

I have to admit to being a bit of a History nerd when it comes to the Tudor Period and so my love of Hever Castle was inevitable. The childhood home of Anne Boleyn it is full of historical artifacts and information relating to Henry VIII’s reign as King of England. Fairly modest in size given it’s castle status, it is more akin to a stately home. The tour of the house takes you through the history of the house from the days of Anne Boleyn to the 19^th Century ownership of Hever by Williams Astor, the richest man in America. Incredibly well preserved and cared for both inside and out, the inside of the house remains furnished with a large portion of it’s original 16^th Century furniture.
The grounds alone provide entertainment for a full day out, with both a traditional hedge maze and a more whimsical water hazard maze, come and have a go archery and a gorgeous picturesque lake to walk round or alternatively hire a rowing boat fit for five (£12 for one hour). I would advise from experience that at least one member of your party have some concept of how to row.
Unfortunately Hever Castle is not a part of the National Trust and so a visit can prove a bit pricey for a family. They do sell family tickets, however I would advise, if you are a Tesco shopper, use your Tesco clubcard vouchers, entrance to both the house and gardens was a mere £5 this way.