700 Years of History in One Visit
A memorable day out awaits groups at this romantic castle famous for being the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. With a double moat and drawbridge, the 13th century castle has splendid panelled rooms containing fine furniture, tapestries and an important collection of Tudor portraits and paintings.
Surrounding the castle are glorious parkland walks and four acres of award-winning formal gardens for groups to explore. Each garden has its own style and character, from the giant topiary chess set and herb collection of the Tudor Garden to the magnificent Pompeiian Wall and collection of classical statuary in the Italian Garden. The celebrated Rose Garden contains over 4,000 roses within its walls, and there’s an impressive herbaceous border stretching over 100 metres. The gardens also boast a traditionally designed yew maze, unique splashing water maze, 38 acre lake where traditional rowing boats are available for hire on weekends and school holidays from April to October, weather permitting. Other attractions include a collection of miniature model houses, an adventure playground with a tower maze, and even a rare collection of medieval instruments of torture in the castle.
The award winning restaurants offer a wide selection of hot and cold food and refreshments which can be pre-booked for groups. Bookings can fit in with group timings, whether it’s for morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea. Groups will also find a wide range of gifts and souvenirs in the gift and garden shops, many of which reflect the castle’s colourful history.
Private guided tours of the castle for groups are available in English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish and Italian before we open to the public. For those who prefer to explore the castle on their own, there are audio tours in English, French and German.
A new exhibition, “A Royal Romance”, will form part of the visitor experience this year. Located in the castle’s Long Gallery and to celebrate The Diamond Jubilee, the information revisits the coronation celebrations of one of its most famous occupants, Anne Boleyn. To complement the exhibition, a range of coats of arms cups and plates will be available in the Hever Shop.
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Hever Castle chosen as iconic backdrop for marketing campaigns
VisitBritain launched a campaign leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. They chose Hever Castle as the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot which shows a white horse performing a dressage display in front of the historic castle. watch video »
Additionally, the stunning loggia overlooking the lake is used by Visit Kent as the iconic image to represent Kent in their “Kent Contemporary Campaign”.
Welcoming Groups
Hever Castle has a long established reputation for offering excellent service to group travel organisers and the travel trade. Besides free parking, coach drivers and tour leaders receive a free entry voucher and one refreshment voucher for exchange at the restaurants (maximum of one each per coach). We have a limited number of manual wheelchairs for loan on a refundable deposit basis subject to availability.
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