ICON inside ICON:
HEVER CASTLE- WHERE TUDOR HISTORY LIVES
BY SOPHIE SHORTER
Proudly set in the quaint village of Hever near Edenbridge, the doublemoated 14th-century Hever Castle once served as the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I.
Built in 1383 by the Norman De Hever family, the original medieval structure began as a fortified manor house rather than a grand castle, before being later transformed by the Boleyn family into the Tudor home we recognise today.
Inside, the castle’ s rooms house fine furniture, tapestries and antiques alongside what is regarded as one of the best collections of Tudor portraits after the National Portrait Gallery. Two prayer books bearing Anne Boleyn’ s inscriptions and signatures are also carefully preserved and displayed.
After being home to the Boleyns, one of the most powerful families in the country, Hever Castle later passed into the ownership of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’ s fourth wife. After their divorce in 1540, Anne was granted a generous settlement including the lease of several estates- Hever Castle among them- allowing her to maintain status and financial independence.
Much of what visitors see today is thanks to William Waldorf Astor, who purchased Hever Castle in 1903. Using his American fortune, Astor restored and expanded the then deteriorating property. By 1906, works were complete, with the creation of the Astor Wing, a Tudor-style village for accommodation, and the enhancement of the grounds with Italianinspired gardens featuring Greek and Roman statuary, a Pompeian Wall, a Grotto Walk and the Loggia and Nymph’ s Fountain, inspired by Rome’ s Trevi Fountain.
In 1939, at the outbreak of WWII, Astor ' s son John Jacob Astor, then chairman of The Times, extended an invitation to his staff living in London with children under the age of five to apply for their families to be evacuated to the Astor residence at Hever Castle. In total, 66 women and children were evacuated to the castle where they remained until the armistice was signed.
Today, Hever Castle stands as one of Kent’ s most iconic landmarks, offering visitors the chance to stay in the restored Tudor rooms, explore the home of history’ s most influential figures and enjoy large-scale cultural events. Most recently, the castle hosted Anne Boleyn: The Musical by Belgium’ s Historalia, bringing her story to life against the backdrop of her childhood home.
Beyond the castle walls, Hever sits within 125 acres of gardens, now preserved under the guidance of award-winning head gardener Neil Miller. What was once land Anne Boleyn would have known as a child now forms an integral part of the estate and has featured in television programmes including Songs of Praise, Escape to the Country and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
While never stealing the spotlight from the castle itself, Hever’ s gardens evolve naturally with the season. On Wednesday 11 February, the estate will welcome visitors back for its First Signs of Spring 2026 event, as over 160,000 snowdrops emerge across the grounds alongside early seasonal blooms, educating visitors on the history of the Galanthus plant. First recorded in 1598 under the reign of Anne Boleyn’ s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, these delicate flowers promise the arrival of spring. This display continues the careful upkeep of Hever Castle and Gardens, a legacy that has evolved over more than six centuries.
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