insideKENT Magazine Issue 57 - December 2016 | Page 131

DAYSOUT

A quintessential Kentish day out:

HEVER CASTLE
The Tudors knew a thing or two about how lovely Kent is – both Henry VIII
and Anne Boleyn had houses in the Garden of England, and Anne’s residence
was the magnificent Hever Castle in Hever, near Edenbridge. BY LISAMARIE LAMB
The house itself
actually dates from
well before Anne
and her family lived
here, having
originally been built
in the 13th century,
but one of the
fascinating things
about Hever
Castle – and one
of the reasons that
people love visiting
there so much – is
that there are
many different eras
of history
represented in one
building and its grounds. The house may be from the 1200s, but the
gardens, for example, were designed and paid for by William Waldorf Aster
in about 1903.

like structure that dominates the
playground and allows for almost
endless running around, hiding,
climbing, jumping, and fun that will
be remembered for years to come.
For the teeny tinies there is a mini
play area too.

So what is it that makes a day at Hever Castle so perfect? Is it the fairy tale
surroundings? The special events? The history? The fun? It’s all of the above
and then some.

The gardens themselves are
impressive and beautiful, and it
could indeed take a whole day to
enjoy them. Hever Castle’s grounds
consist of 125 acres, and the
gardens are an integral part of it all.
In the Italian Garden there is classical
statuary to marvel at, and in the
English Rose Garden you must see
the enormous topiary chess set –
plus there are 4,000 rose bushes
which smell divine. Within the
grounds you’ll also find a boating
lake (which takes up 38 acres just

The Yew Maze is always an exciting
prospect, and no matter how many
times you visit Hever Castle, this is
a big draw. Large yew hedges line
gravel paths that turn corner after
corner and, if you are lucky (or know
what you’re doing and where you’re
going!) you will eventually reach the
centre of the maze. It is quite an
achievement, and one that should
be celebrated (perhaps with an ice
cream, or a piece of homemade
cake? It’s all available here!).

As well as being able to take a leisurely stroll around the outside of the
castle, you can go inside and take a tour. Within the rooms you will find
antique furniture, Tudor paintings, some rather interesting exhibitions, and
of course the remarkable prayer books that have been inscribed by Anne
Boleyn herself as well as much more to enjoy. Hours could very easily be
whiled away inside this moated castle.
Outside there is even more to do – including an excellent adventure
playground for the little ones to let off some steam. Shaded by trees and
made of wood, it’s a paradise for children. The main focus is a huge maze-

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by itself) – why not hire a rowing
boat and explore Hever in style?
And when you get peckish, you
have a difficult choice ahead of you.
Will you relax on the grass with a
picnic blanket and food from home,
or will you eat in one of the two
restaurants (the Moat Restaurant
and the Guthrie Pavilion offer lovely
home-cooked meals, including
children’s portions, and scrummy
cakes and cookies too)? Whichever
option you end up going for, it will
be the right one. You could even
try it all – Hever is open from 10.30
until 4.30, and you’ll build quite an
appetite with all that walking!
The events held at Hever Castle
throughout the year are always
worth attending, and Christmas is
no different. This year, the theme is
‘Once Upon A Castle’, highlighting
just how much of a fairy