EXPLORE… HEVER CASTLE, KENT
Romantic fantasy
Medieval stronghold, luxurious Tudor residence, American millionaire’s bolthole: Hever Castle harmoniously recalls a variety of past identities. CHRISTOPHER HARDING explores Anne Boleyn’s childhood home
Approaching from a distance, down a pathway and across a wooden bridge, Hever Castle looks as though it has had an enormous can of green paint thrown at it. A joyous splash of ivy brings to life the light stone walls above and around the portcullis, setting the tone for a visitor attraction whose keynote is the sensuous, minimally self-conscious enjoyment of a rich history.
That history began in earnest in the early 1500s when the castle, near Edenbridge in Kent, became the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Even under her ambitious, up-and-coming family, a building whose earliest structures date back to the 13th century was never allowed to sprawl. It remained the stuff of childish fancy: small and symmetrical, from its delicate crenellations to the drawbridge over a modest moat, all set in fine open grounds.
The greatest treasures inside the castle are two exquisitely illuminated prayer books, known as Books of Hours, which belonged to Anne Boleyn and bear her writing inside.
These objects offer a precious moment of connection with Anne amid the relative anonymity of Tudor beams and artefacts – though the torture implements are undoubtedly arresting: rusty, pointy and ingeniously wicked. The myriad unknowns of Anne’s early years inevitably create limitations for attempted historical reconstruction; the audio guide, though generally useful, frequently hedges its bets with “might” and “perhaps” when attempting to describe her life at Hever.
Hever Castle has been an object of fantasy not just for children but also for a wealthy American businessman and philanthropist. William Waldorf Astor, originally of New York City and latterly a British subject, bought the castle in 1903 and set about breathing new life into it. He added accommodation for guests, styled as a “medieval village”. He engaged the architect Frank Pearson to design a 50-hectare garden, including an Italian Garden serving as the setting for a collection of classical antiquities acquired during Astor’s time as American ambassador in Rome. And he had the inside of the castle extensively refurbished with intricate oak panelling and wood carving, bequeathing to visitors today a snapshot of the early 20th-century high life.
“Even under the ambitious Boleyns, Hever remained the stuff of childish fancy, from delicate crenellations to the moat drawbridge”
As if to balance out the castle’s heavy debt to the Astors, Hever’s extensive grounds are left very much in the hands of the Tudors. Women in period costume wander around arm in arm, introducing themselves and offering historical titbits in the first person –“I am Anne’s mother,” begins one when we meet. The men, meanwhile, fight: on the day I visited with my family, there was hand-tohand combat – involving a generous element of slapstick – and a jousting tournament over which Henry VIII himself presided. At this point we zoomed past the Astors and came crashing into the 21st century, courtesy of some kingly commentary on Brexit and traffic congestion around the M25; more authentically Tudor, perhaps, were the jokes at the expense of tricky continentals.
Strange as it may seem, all this holds together remarkably well at Hever Castle, with the proud embracing of a multi-faceted past married to the strong desire to create a fun day out – for children, especially. My daughter came away having learned just enough about Anne Boleyn to pique her interest, mixed with memories of serving as a pike-bearer in a parade, getting thoroughly soaked in a water maze and having Henry VIII try to steal her teddy during a photo op.
It’s advisable to book ahead, and to check which activities – some of which are seasonal – are running on the day you plan to visit.
Christopher Harding is senior lecturer in Asian history at the University of Edinburgh
VISIT
For more information on visiting Hever Castle, go to hevercastle.co.uk