Where is Hever Castle located?
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, England, near Edenbridge and 30 miles south-east of London.
Questions about Hever Castle
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who grew up at Hever Castle?
Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII, spent her early youth at Hever Castle. Her father, Thomas Boleyn, inherited the property in 1505. Anne lived at Hever until 1513, when she left to study at the court of the Archduchess Margaret in the Habsburg Netherlands.
How old is Hever Castle and when was it built?
Hever Castle's oldest surviving element, the gatehouse and walled bailey, dates to 1270. The building underwent three main periods of construction, with a major restoration carried out by William Waldorf Astor in 1903.
What films and TV shows have been filmed at Hever Castle?
Films shot at Hever Castle include The Princess Bride and Inkheart. Both Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and the second season of Andor filmed there, using the castle to represent the planet Naboo. Television productions including The Third Day and The Great have also used Hever as a location.
When did William Waldorf Astor buy Hever Castle?
William Waldorf Astor acquired Hever Castle in 1903 and used it as a family residence. He restored the building, added the Tudor village of guest cottages, and created an Italian Garden for his collection of statuary and ornaments. The Astor family sold the castle in 1983 to John Guthrie, chairman of Broadland Properties Limited.
What can visitors see at Hever Castle today?
Hever Castle holds antique furniture, Tudor paintings, instruments of torture, and a museum of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry on its three floors. The grounds include a yew hedge maze planted in 1904, a water maze opened in 1999, and Italianate, rose, herb, and topiary gardens. Annual events include jousting tournaments and archery displays in summer, and a patchwork and quilting exhibition each September.