The childhood home of Anne Boleyn is absolutely gorgeous.  The charming castle at Hever has a rich and varied history.  The castle itslsef is small in comparison to others I’ve visited throughout Europe but the panelled rooms contain fine furniture, tapestries, antiques and hosts an important collection of Tudor portraits.  The highlight of Hever are the gardens, they are absolutely beautiful.

The original Hever Castle was built in 1270. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Hever Castle was home to the powerful Boleyn family. Hever 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 and creating the Church of England.

We walked the gardens on a beautiful summers day.  The romantic English rose garden smelled amazing and boasted over 4,000 roses (these typically flourish from June until September).

Alongside the Yew Maze is the Tudor Garden, a series of small, sheltered gardens with neatly clipped hedges. These simple gardens were laid out as they might have been in the time of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Probably my favourite gardens on the property were the Italian gardens. The long sweeping lawns, tall clipped hedges are bordered by two twelve foot high walls made from local stone (carried by horse & cart from Tunbridge Wells). On the north side is the Pompeiian Wall which contains small bays showcasing antiquities in stone and marble surrounded with shrubs and climbing plants. Along the south side runs the Pergola Walk with its shaded grottoes planted with ferns. The impressive Loggia at the lake end of the garden is lined by pillared colonnades and overlooks a fountain inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

It’s a fantastic place to visit for a day.

Hever Castle & Gardens
Hever
Edenbridge
Kent TN8 7NG

UPDATE: We returned to Hever Castle on Christmas Eve (Winter) and walked the Christmas trail lit by fairy lights.  Brilliant.