Hever Castle

Hever is a small moated manor house of the thirteenth century, extended by the Boleyn family in the fifteenth, and Anne Boleyn grew up here before Henry VIII's pursuit of her broke England from Rome; two of her prayer books, signed and dated, are on display. Henry took the castle after her execution in 1536 and gave it to Anne of Cleves as part of the annulment settlement. By 1903 it was a decaying farmhouse, and William Waldorf Astor bought it, restored the interiors with panelling and carving of extraordinary quality, dug a thirty-five-acre lake, laid out an Italian garden for his classical sculpture collection, and built a whole Tudor-style village behind the castle to house staff and guests, joined by a bridge, since the original building was too small to entertain in.

What you actually see

• The Boleyn prayer books - two volumes signed by Anne, on display in the castle.
• The Astor interiors - Edwardian panelling and carving of exceptional workmanship.
• The Italian garden - laid out for Astor's collection of classical statuary.
• The Tudor village - a 1900s mock-Tudor wing hidden behind the castle.

When to go

April to September for the gardens, with the Italian garden and rose garden at their peak in June and July; the yew maze and water maze open in the warmer months. Winter brings shorter hours and a Christmas dressing.

Honest expectations

Much of what looks Tudor is Edwardian reconstruction by Astor, done well but not original. The castle itself is small and can feel cramped at busy times. Tickets are expensive and the gardens are the larger part of the value.

Nearby

Chartwell and Penshurst Place are nearby; Tunbridge Wells lies southeast.