Hever Castle (Tamala Malerk)
“Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived.” These six words are synonymous with King Henry VIII’s six wives and how their marriage to ole’ Harry ended. I have been obsessed with these women since I was a senior in high school. I have given an unprompted 45-minute-long lecture on them while waiting to see the crown jewels at the Tower of London, read as many books and seen as many movies and documentaries as I can about them, and even wrote my master’s thesis on Queen Catherine Parr (wife six). Recently, I had a dream-come-true-moment when I got to spend the night in Hever Castle and Gardens: the childhood home of Queen Anne Boleyn (wife two) and divorce present to Queen Anne of Cleves (wife four).
We arrived about 10:30 a.m. knowing that it was too early to check in to the bed-and-breakfast, but we were simply hoping to drop off our luggage. Much to our surprise, arriving early allowed us special access to the castle. We got 30 minutes to tour the castle with only fellow patrons of the bed-and-breakfast. This was advantageous for us because heavy rain brought the regular visitors swiftly past the gardens and straight into the shelter of the castle, which became crowded.
Throughout the castle, there are various re-creations of Tudor-era rooms. The Aster family spent 10 million dollars in the early 20th century to make the rooms as accurate as possible. Of course, modern amenities such as electricity have been put in the castle, but you get a real sense of how it was back in the 1500s and 1600s.
The castle is filled with painted portraits, furniture, tapestries and personal items of King Henry, Queen Anne Boleyn and Queen Anne of Cleves. My personal favorite was nerd-ing out over Anne Boleyn’s music book and Book of Hours. There are several knowledge-filled employees scattered around the castle to provide basic information for newcomers and niche information for longtime Tudor-obsessed fans such as myself.
Hever Castle and Dragon Statue (Tamala Malerk)
There are plenty of places to eat while visiting the castle and gardens. The Moat Café offers an opportunity to sit down and enjoy a meal, offering a variety of sandwiches and cakes, plus hot and cold drinks. If you want to eat and meander around the gardens, several kiosks offer a variety of foods from BBQ to ice cream and macaroni and cheese (depending on the season). The deluxe hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows made walking the gardens in the cool air even more enjoyable.
Henry VIII Pub (Tamala Malerk)
If you are seeking a true English pub experience, the King Henry VIII pub is just a five-minute walk away from the castle. The menu is small, but you cannot go wrong with your choices. My spouse and I enjoyed it so much that we went for lunch and dinner. Your admission ticket to Hever Castle and Gardens is good all day, so feel free to see the castle, grab a bite to eat at King Henry’s and then return to walk the gardens and grounds. (That’s what we did).
Sign at King Henry VIII Pub (Tamala Malerk)
After lunch, we returned to the grounds where we walked around the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry Military Museum. It’s a small museum but included with our admission and worth checking out.
There is a large playground for children to enjoy onsite as well as the “space walk” where model planets hang from the trees. I recommend doing the space walk at night for the best experience.
After spending all day at the Castle and the surrounding area, it was time to call it a night. We had initially booked a standard room but were surprised when upon our arrival, we were upgraded to a larger room. Each room is named after a historical figure; I cannot remember which one our room was. We opened the door which revealed an entry way with a table against the left wall featuring a folder with information about local things to do and restaurants. Further down was the entrance to the bedroom featuring a spacious area and a large bed to rest our tired bodies. Back in the entry hall you follow it to the end which leads to the bathroom with a giant shower and a bathtub to relax in. Thankfully, no royal ghosts haunted us as we slept that night.
There is plenty going on at Hever Castle no matter what time of year you visit. In spring, enjoy the daffodils, craft fair, ECO week and Easter fun. In summer, enjoy car shows, jousting events, falconry displays and more. In fall, enjoy the fall color displays, triathlon, craft fair, and Halloween events. During the wintertime, enjoy a castle lightshow and various hot chocolate vendors. Note that the castle is closed for most of January, so, plan accordingly.
