Hever Castle received a Gold Award and was voted ‘Garden of the Year 2014’ by South & South East in Bloom. The double accolade was announced last week, with the gardens beating stiff competition in the Heritage Parks & Gardens category.
The Gardens received a glowing report from the Assessors who praised Head Gardener, Neil Miller, and his passionate team of nine horticulturally trained gardeners for maintaining the extensive gardens to such an immaculate standard. It noted the ‘manicured lawns, closely mown and home to some beautiful majestic trees that occupy the skyline’ as well as admiring the ‘formal gardens where water features, colourful bedding displays, Italian sculptures, Mediterranean style planting, carpet bedding, topiary and over four thousand different roses, typical of the quintessential English garden are found’.
It was felt that the opportunity to book garden tours and the availability of gardeners and volunteers to answer visitors’ questions was a bonus. The Judges also approved of the number of ramps to enable access for less able bodied visitors to all areas of the gardens and the introduction of golf buggies to take disabled visitors to various sites.
Hever Castle & Gardens scored highly on the environmental scale, and the report noted ‘the use of chemicals is minimal with bedding grown in peat free compost while water is obtained either sourced from a bore hole or from the large 38-acre lake’.
Among new and ongoing projects to enhance the visitor experience is the reclaiming of Church Gill Walk, an extension of Sunday Walk. Additionally, exciting new vistas have been opened up to surprise and delight visitors, along with pruning mature yew hedges back into shape and the introduction of new plantings covering all seasons, including the development of a Winter Garden.
Each year, Britain in Bloom receives hundreds of entries from communities, schools, cities towns and villages who wish to participate from across the South and South East. Entering the “In Bloom” campaigns has helped raise the standards of horticulture and awareness of environmental concerns, conservation of resources as well as ‘making places greener, cleaner and a pleasure to live in, work in and visit’.
The report concluded that ‘Hever Castle’s fascinating gardens were full of colour and interest, an enjoyable experience well worth more visits in the future, guided expertly by an enthusiastic, joyful character, Neil Miller, Head Gardener’.
Book your visit to Hever Castle & Gardens.
Within the grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, there are two opportunities for you to stay the night with us.
Hever Castle has played host to many important events and celebrations for over 600 years. In 1903 when William Waldorf Astor set about restoring Hever Castle to its former glory, he added the Astor Wing, to accommodate his family and guests, before creating a lake and the spectacular Italian Garden to house his impressive collection of ancient Greek and Roman statuary.
There are multiple places to eat & drink across the Hever Castle Estate. Select between the Castle & Gardens and Golf Club below to discover more.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, Hever Castle Golf Club is a 27 hole Kent golf course that will encourage and inspire all golf enthusiasts.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, the Wellbeing Centre consists of five smart treatment rooms.