by Tim Harry

Created on: September 21, 2008   Last Updated: January 25, 2009

England has a long history, and reminders of this history can be found all around the country. Each year hundreds of thousands of people visit the castles and stately homes spread around the country to take in this history, and the county of Kent is blessed with a number of these visitor attractions. One of the most popular of these castles is Hever Castle, near to Sevenoaks, with a history linked to Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII.

Visitors to Hever Castle are drawn by two main interests, the history of the English monarchy and also a love of the classic English garden.

The history of Hever Castle goes back to 1270 when the gatehouse and walled bailey were constructed. The castle was then purchased by Geoffrey Boleyn in 1462 where it was to become the seat of the Boleyn family. Thus for a brief period it was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, although she was to spend much of her early life in the Netherlands and France. Anne Boleyn never actually owned Hever Castle as it was owned by her father Thomas Boleyn. As the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn predeceased her father by dying in 1536 when executed. Although disgraced by the disgrace of his daughter, Thomas was allowed to live out his life in the castle, where he died in 1539. The death of Thomas without a living male heir saw Hever Castle pass into the ownership of the crown, and Henry VIII saw fit to give it to Anne of Cleves once their marriage was annulled. There is little evidence though to suggest that Anne of Cleves took up residence in the castle and it eventually was sold to the Waldgrave family in 1557.

From 1749 the castle passed into the hands of the Meade Waldo family, who tended to lease the building out to tenants. This though did see the castle neglected in its upkeep, and it was only through the purchase of Hever Castle by William Waldorf Astor that money was once again invested into it. Astor invested a proportion of his millions into the castle and grounds and did much to shape what is now seen by the general public.

The most modern incarnation of Hever Castle has only occurred in the last thirty years when it was turned into a tourist attraction by Broadland Properties Limited. With the castle and grounds opened to the public attractions have been created, these include the traditional portrait and tapestry galleries. Long established exhibits include also a museum dedicated to the Yeomanry of Kent, as well as weapons and instruments of torture. There is also currently an exhibit

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