Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The main construction periods of this Grade I listed property were from 1267 to 1903. Hever Castle is famously known as the former home of Anne Boleyn and it was also the residence of Henry VIII's fourth wife Anne of Cleves. The castle originally dates back to c.1267 but after 1557 it fell into private ownership. There were extensive building and restoration works in the early 20th century when the estate was bought by William Waldorf Astor. At this time the castle was restored and the 'Tudor Village', gardens and lake were all created. The site opened to the public in 1983 and is now home to a large variety of galleries and exhibitions, as well as mazes and an adventure playground for children.

Monument Types

• SITE (Medieval to Modern - 1267 AD to 1903 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
HEVER Hever Castle 1. 5280 TQ 4745 15/512 10.9.54. I 2. Late C13 - early C14 keep with links to square towers at East and West, all battlemented. License to crenellate 1340. New wood footbridge over moat to portcullis in slightly projecting centrepiece of late C14 (another license of 1384) with machicolation above. Back wings of circa 1500, also in stone, with steep tiled roofs and mullioned and transomed windows. Windows inserted in old keep at similar period. Within courtyard restored exposed framing. Interior much restored in early C19. Hever Castle was the home of Anne Boleyn. It changed hands several times until purchased by Mr W W Astor in 1903, when J L and F L Pearson added "The Village" a picturesque cluster of guest cottages. 2-storeys, or one storey and attic, irregular buildings. Some roofs tiled, some of Horsham stone, many gables; some jettied 1st floors. Upper floors mostly half timbered with plastered filling. Ground floors mainly roughly coursed stone with some brickwork. Some timbers carved. Little loggia, around angle of building nearest to Castle, leads to covered bridge over moat.
Listing NGR: TQ4783045188 (1)

The licence to crenellate from 1340 is unknown. Licences are recorded in the Calendar of Patent Rolls for 1271 (2) and 1383 (3).

Additional bibliography (4-8)

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> H.C. Maxwell Lyte, 1913, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1266-72) (Bibliographic reference). SKE17249.

<3> H.C. Maxwell Lyte, 1897, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1381-85) (Bibliographic reference). SKE17248.

<4> OS 6" 1936-7 (OS Card Reference). SKE48343.

<5> Battle and district historical society, 1963, Battle and District Historical Society transactions (OS Card Reference). SKE53650.

<6> Thacker, C., 1987, Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England: part 24 (Kent) (Article in serial). SWX7605.

<7> D Cathcart King, 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (OS Card Reference). SKE38603.

<8> Fortress Study Group, 1975, Fort : the international journal of fortification and military architecture (Serial). SKE53649.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Kent's Castles (Thematic Essay)
• The Defence of Kent (Thematic Essay)