Hands up if you love visiting historical palaces and castles! Lift that other hand if you love history relating to Henry VIII.

This place is absolutely for you. Set within 125 acres of gardens and lands this Tudor house was once home to the young Anne Boleyn. The second wife to King Henry VIII, the first to loose her life because of it. With a smidgen of politics thrown into the mix for good measure. The original medieval part of building dates back to 1270 as gatehouse, it is later in the 15th and 16th centuries that the house was owned by the prominent Boleyn family.

I find the rule of King Henry VIII the most fascinating. So much has happened during his reign to the country, if you look past what he is most famously remembered for today of course. His marriages to six women, only two of whom were executed. I think we all have a favourite monarch that interests us the most, for me it is this Tudor sovereign.

Anne Boleyn is no less interesting, it was she who influenced, be it directly or indirectly, the separation from Catholicism and the influence of the Vatican. Henry created the Church of England because the Vatican would not permit a legal divorce between himself and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Catherine did not give her consent to the divorce and the Catholic Church found no proof that there were any genuine grounds for divorce other than that Henry simply wanted a new wife. The Catholic Church would not be persuaded otherwise, which made Henry enraged. An idea was born that a Monarch is above all and is a direct emissary from God, therefore logically he is a representative of the church on earth and nobody can dictate to him what he can and cannot do. Henry became the head of the Church of England and gave himself the desired divorce he coveted so much. Now he set aside Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn, some believe in secret but that was never confirmed. And because Thomas Cromwell failed his task in procuring afore mentioned divorce, even though he was a close confidant, former tutor and friend to the King, he paid dearly with his life.

I’ve just realised I’m getting carried away, I’m supposed to be talking about Hever Castle. My apologies, although a bit of background history can only benefit.

Don’t mind the buggy parking. Cardinal Wolsey greets the visitors.

Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, in Kent. A stone building with a moat and a drawbridge. Externally very unchanged, which is both enchanting and awe inspiring. There was a time when the home fell into disrepair but thanks to the American tycoon William Waldorf Astor was purchased and restored to it’s former glory in 1903. Apart from switching the rooms (the grand staircase is now where the kitchen used to be when the residence was owned by the Boleyn family) the rooms are largely unchanged. Low ceilings, small rooms with four poster beds. The smell of antiques transfers you back in time. It is almost eery, as it feels like the owners have merely left the room for a little while but will be back shortly. Visitors do not linger, and I don’t think it’s because it was stuffy either, more like they feared seeing a ghost. I wouldn’t dare spend a night alone in this house.

The rooms are stunning however. Everything is oak panelled, apart from the windowsills in the upstairs bedrooms, the exposed stone shows the thickness of the walls. Everything submerged in a gloomy darkness, so that electric lighting was required despite it being the middle of the day in one of the most sunniest days of the year with beautiful fluffy white clouds dotted about the sky.

You enter by crossing the moat, and form an orderly line in the inner court yard to be let in. A separate ticket needs to be purchased prior. The house is the very iconic and recognisable style of the Tudor period. White walls with black gables and beams, iron window frames with handmade glass which distorts the view when you look through them. As you enter, an option of taking a portable guide with you around the house is given. It resembles a small tablet and I highly recommend because installed is not only the audio guide but photographs of what it used to look like before and after Waldorf Astor bought and restored the home. You could even glide the bar left to right to see the comparison right on the screen.

One of my favourite rooms is the gallery. A long wide corridor where ladies used to take “walks” during rainy days. Portraits portray the previous owners, overlooking various mannequins that show a snippet of what Anne as a child may have looked and dressed like, then as a young adult, and again as a Queen. Standing next to the rather large and imposing figure of King Henry VIII. In another room you will find a Book of Hours, also known as a book of psalms and prayers. This book belonged to Anne herself and even includes her personal notations amongst its pages. It is quite exquisite and ornate. The colourful pages are wonderfully preserved as if they have just been painted fresh. You can find a transcript of a selected few letters written between Anne and Henry at the Hever Shop. Amongst other souvenirs and local unique arts and crafts gifts. At first both confess their love for each other and how they cannot wait to be reunited but ending with a rather more sombre letter, written by Anne to Henry asking him how has she wronged her Lord that he should turn away from her, and what can she possibly do to change that.

What kind of castle would this be without a maze? In the gardens you will find two. A traditional Yew Maze located right next to the castle and a Water Maze a little further out but great fun for the children. Not so much a maze but more of a game of luck in a “will you or won’t you get wet” game, as water sprays from below sporadically. While the Yew Maze which was planted by Waldorf Astor is a more classic “let’s get lost” in the style of ‘Three Men in a Boat’ by Jerome K. Jerome. The gardens span out across 125 acres, which include a rose garden, stunning Italian gardens, a hidden Blue Corner gem of a garden and woodlands. Let’s not forget the little tots, there is a new complex playground where the little ones can take for hours climbing a miniature version of the castle, with various obstacles. It looks like it’s great fun. If you come with children make sure to allocate some time for this experience.

Although I was a little too big for the playground, I was just right for archery lessons. These are so much fun, I only wish that the lesson was a little longer. It’s rather fun to try out this ancient skill and see just how good (or bad) your aim is. I’m bad at archery but a rather good shot on a pellet rifle. If I do say so myself.

The Italian gardens are something special. I love formal and structured gardens in general so this was just what I enjoy walking among most. It was delightful walking in the sun and siping on a refreshing chilled pink lemonade.

Really, you need two days to be able to see everything. Or like I always say, leave something for next time. I guess I’ll be returning sometime then. Just look at that view!

There are constant additional events like jousting planned throughout the year. Please check their website for further details. www.hevercasle.co.uk