UK Trip #28: Arrival at Hever Castle - The Gardens

Hever Castle's Extensive Garden

Tom and Rob de-stressing in the Hever Garden after a harrowing drive

On Saturday, June 22, we finally arrived at the town the housed Hever Castle. Okay, so I know it's a castle, and I know that I should expect a long driveway, but a mile or two of driveway out of a town?  Really? Yup.

This Blog contains 2 short Video Tours of the Castle's famous gardens (see below)

WHAT IS HEVER CASTLE? Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge. It's 30 miles south-east of London, England (but driving there took 2 hours!)  It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539 it was the seat of the Boleyn, originally 'Bullen', family. Remember Anne Boleyn and her Tudor period connection? That's why we visited the castle!


  WHO WAS ANNE BOLEYN? Anne Boleyn (c. 1501– May 19, 1536) was the second wife of King Henry VIII, and was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 . She was also the Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation.
     Anne's parents were Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard. Anne was educated in the Netherlands and France, largely as a maid of honor to Claude of France. Anne came back to England in early 1522, to marry her Irish cousin James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond. That wedding never happened, however because Anne secured a post at court as maid of honor to Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon. That's how Anne caught Henry VIII's eye,

HERE'S A SHORT VIDEO OF "SILENT TOM" IN THE HEVER CASTLE GARDEN: 

Tom poses near a dog statue

Rob and Tom at the Italian Garden fountain

WHO LAST OWNED THE CASTLE? - William Waldorf Astor (March 31, 1848 — October 18, 1919) was a wealthy American attorney, and the only son of John Jacob Astor III. In 1903 William purchased the castle and restored it to use as a family residence. Since 1983 the castle has been owned by Broadland Properties Limited. The estate is now run as a conference center, but the castle and grounds are open to the public.

Rob in the garden

HEVER CASTLE'S AMAZING GARDENS - There are a number of different gardens around the castle (and you have to go through several of them to get to the front entrance of the castle. The spectacular gardens at Hever Castle were laid out between 1904 and 1908 by Joseph Cheal & Son. It was a marshland when they purchased the land, and they turned it into amazing and extensive gardens. These were not the gardens that Anne Boleyn saw when she lived here. The gardens didn't exist in her time. 
 A VIDEO TOUR OF THE GARDEN!

In the Tudor Garden, Rhododendron Walk we walked along Anne Boleyn’s Walk with its collection of trees planted over 100 years ago!

Tom in front of a garden set up he liked!

According to the Castle's Website: Hevercastle.co.uk, the Italian Garden was designed to display William Waldorf Astor’s collection of Italian sculptures. Over 1,000 men worked on the great design with around 800 men digging out the 38 acre lake at the far end of the Italian Garden – taking two years to do so!

Within four years the 30 acres of classical and natural landscapes were constructed and planted.  125 acres of the garden has now reached its full maturity and includes the colorful walled Rose Garden which contains over 4,000 plants.



NEXT: THE GHOSTS INSIDE HEVER CASTLE