Hever Castle

This section provides information about Hever Castle which was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

Hever Castle is a fortified manor house surrounded by a moat and was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

It is an attraction which draws people from far around to see view the restored castle and explore its beautifully maintained gardens, which also contain a Yew Maze, a splashing Water Maze and an adventure playground for children.

The original moated castle was built in 1270 and consisted of a massive gatehouse and a walled bailey, approached by a wooden drawbridge.

The late 15th century saw the castle became the home of the Bullen family who built a comfortable Tudor house within the walls.

Hever was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, future wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Not one of the more fortunate wives, she was executed on a charge of High Treason after failing to provide him with a son.

Following her father's death two years later, Henry seized the castle and gave it to Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, who remained at Hever Castle until her death in 1557.

It subsequently exchanged hands several times before wealthy American William Waldorf bought it in 1903 and began an extensive restoration of the castle, the creation of the lake and gardens and the construction of a Tudor style village to provide more accommodation.