Hever Castle & Gardens

After a long journey from home & then a bumper to bumper journey on the notorious M25, we eventually arrived at Hever Castle.

There is ample parking opposite the estate, and over the road was the entrance to the castle grounds with many different types of trees to see.

After showing our booking, we continued forward, the road sloped down, and it was a bit of a walk to the retail shops and restaurant / coffee shop within the grounds. The walk towards the castle had a lovely view as we walked over a small bridge towards an area of animal shaped bushes had us guessing what some of them were, a reindeer and a tortoise, a peacock, and a turtle, one might have been a Robin, this was years of growing, shaping and patience, and was very entertaining.

The castle exterior with the moat surrounding it and the ivy turning a deep scarlet colour growing up the walls outside looked stunning. We had to wait a about 10 minutes as we arrived earlier than expected for the castle gates to be opened, so whilst waiting, looking around, we saw a tall maze with narrow channels, but it was being trimmed by gardeners, so it was closed.

The castle inside was amazing, and it felt special knowing we were possibly walking in the historic footsteps of the then young Anne Boleyn & her siblings, Mary, George, and their parents. Walking the rooms corridors & stairs with an array of unique furniture and oil paintings there's so much to see, and there was the occasional seat where people could sit & rest a while to take it all in.

There were people on hand to ask questions, and they knew their stuff, so they were quite helpful.

Leaving the castle to explore the grounds was just another beautiful experience & how it was set up with statues, walled arches, large vases, in groups across well managed criss - crossed patterned lawns and huge bronze urns, the floral displays with a mix of palm trees and marble freizes and containers with barley twist stonework columns supporting stone tubs of flowering bedding plants, & continuing this led down to a greek style building or villa or maybe my interpretation of one and behind lay a huge lake backdrop, it took my breath away, it is so beautiful.

There are garden shops dotted around the grounds where you can buy all kinds of flower bulbs and other items of interest, and I can definitely recommend a trip to see and walk through the history of Hever Castle.