Hever Castle

• 1. Introduction

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  Hever Castle sits in the village of Hever, Kent, 30 miles south-east of London. The gatehouse at its heart has stood since 1270. The portcullis that hangs within it is the oldest working original portcullis in England. Three floors above that medieval gate, the castle holds Anne Boleyn's prayer books. Those books once belonged to the second queen consort of King Henry VIII. She spent her early years at Hever before the Tudor court pulled her away. What happened to the castle after the Boleyns departed is a story shaped by royal marriage, prolonged neglect, and a very determined rescue.

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• 2. The Boleyn Family

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  James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele, was the first recorded owner of the fortification that would become Hever Castle. His property consisted of a gatehouse and walled bailey. The castle changed little in the two centuries that followed.

  In 1462, Geoffrey Boleyn took possession of the property, which was by then in need of repair. He was the younger brother of Thomas Boleyn, who served as Master of Gonville Hall at Cambridge. Geoffrey converted the fortification into a proper manor and added a Tudor dwelling inside the original walls. His grandson, also named Thomas Boleyn, inherited the estate in 1505 following the death of his father, Sir William Boleyn. The younger Thomas settled at Hever with his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, and their three children: George, Mary, and Anne. Anne was born at Blickling Hall rather than at Hever, though the exact year of her birth remains uncertain.

  Anne departed Hever in 1513, when her father arranged for her education at the court of the Archduchess Margaret in the Habsburg Netherlands. Henry VIII, who would later court Anne, conducted that courtship from the nearby Bolebroke Castle.

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• 3. Henry VIII and the Castle

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  Thomas Boleyn died in 1539, and the castle passed into the possession of King Henry VIII. Henry left a physical mark on the property that survives to this day. He habitually travelled with his own private locks, which he fitted to every door in every house he visited, for his personal security. Hever still holds one of those locks.

  Within a year, Henry disposed of the estate. He gave Hever to Anne of Cleves in 1540 as part of the settlement following the annulment of their marriage. Anne of Cleves was his fourth wife. The castle would remain in private ownership for roughly three and a half centuries after that, passing through several families, not all of which maintained it well.

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• 4. Centuries of Ownership

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  The Waldegrave family held Hever from 1557 to 1715, a tenure of more than 150 years. Ownership then passed to the Humfreys family, who kept the castle until 1749. The Meade-Waldo family followed and held the property until 1903. Across these successive ownerships, the castle fell into poor repair. At various points, the titled owners chose to lease it to private tenants rather than occupy it themselves.

  By the start of the 20th century, the castle was in poor enough condition to require a full restoration. An American fortune made that possible.

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• 5. The Astor Transformation

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  William Waldorf Astor acquired Hever in 1903 and used it as a family residence. His restoration of the property was comprehensive. He added a cluster of guest cottages beside the castle, an arrangement known as the Tudor village, also called the Astor Wing. He also created an Italian Garden to display his collection of statuary and ornaments.

  The castle received its Grade I listed status on the 10th of September 1954, after Astor's village addition was already in place. In 1983, the Astor family sold the castle to John Guthrie. Guthrie, born in 1906 and died in 1992, served as chairman of Broadland Properties Limited. The Guthrie family, through Broadland Properties, owns the castle today. Astor's restoration left the original country house timbers still visible within the stone walls.

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• 6. What Visitors Find

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  Antique furniture and a large collection of Tudor paintings fill the rooms inside Hever Castle. Instruments of torture are also among the objects on display. A museum of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry is housed within the castle as well. The gatehouse is the only surviving part of the original structure.

  A hedge maze of yew trees, planted in 1904, occupies part of the grounds. A water maze opened in 1999; visitors attempt to reach the folly at its centre without getting wet. A tower maze in the children's adventure playground was undergoing reconstruction. The grounds also contain an Italianate garden with a Fernery, rose gardens, a herb garden, and topiary.

  Jousting tournaments and archery displays take place in the summer months. September brings an annual patchwork and quilting exhibition. The castle has also become a venue for a triathlon and open water swimming. Twenty-eight bed and breakfast rooms are available for overnight guests. Three restaurants operate within the gardens. Inkheart is among the feature films that have used the property as a shooting location.

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• 7. Hever on Screen

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  The 2020 drama-thriller series The Third Day used Hever Castle as one of its filming locations. In the television comedy-drama The Great, the Loggia on the lake served as the setting for a peace conference. The second season of the Star Wars series Andor filmed at Hever, using the castle to represent the planet Naboo. Hever had already served the same purpose in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The Princess Bride also filmed scenes on the property. The castle has additionally been used as a location for music videos, adding a contemporary element to its screen history.

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