Staff at Hever Castle are celebrating after winning Gold at the Beautiful South Awards 2021/22 for their Christmas event.
The historic attraction scooped a gold award in the Experience and Event of the Year for its 2020 Peter Pan themed Christmas event.
Go Ape, Bracknell and Wakehurst – Glow Wild received silver and South of England Show 2021, Ardingly was awarded bronze.
Globalls – Indoor UV Mini Golf, Brighton Marina and Light Up Wiston, Steyning were commended in the same category.
Visitors to Hever Castle’s Christmas event in 2020 had a chance to explore a festive Peter Pan themed trail through the grounds, enjoy a traditional Carousel and fairground stalls, visit Father Christmas in a bespoke grotto and toy workshop and experience the gardens magically illuminated with up-lighting and colour washes.
Run by Tourism South East in partnership with Services for Tourism Ltd, the awards recognise achievement in the tourism industry over the last 18 months.
The black tie event took place at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on Monday 25 April 2022.
As well as a detailed awards application, those putting themselves forward in each category underwent a judging panel in order to be named as a finalist.
Faye Kelly, Head of Visitor Services said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won gold for at the Beautiful South Awards – the top industry awards for the tourism industry. We started running a Christmas event on a much smaller scale in 2007 and we are thrilled to have grown it to the event it is today, a real highlight in the calendar for so many people in the area. It is a huge undertaking, bringing together every department so this award is testament to the hard work and dedication of all of the staff involved.”
Hever Castle has previously won the following at the Beautiful South Awards:
2019 – Gold Award in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category, joint Gold with Blenheim Palace in the Wedding Venue of the Year category and Bronze in the Small Hotel of the Year category
2018 – Bronze Award in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category
2017 – Gold Award in the Boutique Accommodation of the Year category
You can read about other recent award wins here.
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.
