We explore Anne Boleyn’s childhood home.
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Transcript:
Hello Listeners,
Today is February 26, and this is A Garden A Day with Mædunbroc Gardens.
Thank you for listening.
We’re headed to the UK today to a 13th century castle that was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother to Queen Elizabeth, I. This place has it all — romance — drama — scandal — and 150 acres of stunning gardens.
Today’s garden is located at Hever Castle about thirty miles southeast of London in the Kent countryside.
The oldest part of the castle dates to 1270, but the majority of the structure was built between 1308 and 1383. This was the period when the moat was added. Yes, it’s a real castle — with a moat!
In 1462, Geoffrey Boleyn purchased the castle. By this time, the castle was a bit outdated, and renovations were made to the living quarters. Geoffrey died the following year, and his son, William, inherited the castle. More renovations were made and continued when his son, Thomas took ownership of the castle sometime around 1505.
Thomas Boleyn, by the way, was Anne Boleyn’s father. Anne was born probably in 1501 and spent her childhood at Hever Castle.
There is much more to the history of the castle, but I’m going to skip to the garden part. The castle’s website has a pretty terrific timeline that shares the who and the what of the castle, and I invite you to check out their site to learn more. I’ve included a link in the notes.
I’m going to fast forward to 1903 — July 27, 1903 to be exact. That’s when William Waldorf Astor purchased Hever Castle and set about restoring the castle and creating a beautiful garden.
William Waldorf Astor was the only child of John Jacob Astor, III, and Charlotte Gibbes. In 1890, upon the death of his father, William inherited a tidy fortune and began construction of the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. There is a bit more to this story than I have time to share here, but eventually, this became the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Meanwhile, William Astor moved his family to England, made several business and real estate acquisitions, and that catches us up to our story of the Hever Castle gardens.
More than 1,000 men were hired for the work of restoring Hever Castle and its grounds. Eight hundred of those men spent two years excavating the thirty-eight acre lake. Astor’s desire was authenticity, and he preserved every aspect of the building.
The gardens were laid out between 1904 and 1908.
The Italian Garden spans four acres and was designed to showcase Astor’s collection of antiquities. The garden includes fountains, urns, and statues — some more than 2,000 years old. There is a pergola, hidden grottoes, and a sunken garden, but the centerpiece of the Italian Garden is the Loggia, with a fountain reminiscent of the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
The Loggia overlooks the thirty-eight acre pond, and visitors can sit and admire the beautiful water view.
For guests who want to be a bit more active, boats are available to row across the pond.
More than 5,000 rose bushes greet visitors in the Rose Garden. They were planted in blocks of color from pale pink to crimson, to purple to white. Roses bloom between June and September.
The Tudor Garden pays homage to the age and the historical roots of the castle and its most famous inhabitants. The garden includes clipped hedges, an herb garden, and a giant topiary chess set.
The long border by the Two Sisters Lawn was designed by renowned gardener and landscape designer Gertrude Jekyll. The border was planted with hundreds of perennials that flow from cool colors to warm and then back to cool. In late summer, 400 dahlias burst forth in vibrant color. The lawn is the site of the Hever Festival Theatre.
The garden includes four intimate walking paths. The Sunday Walk and Church Gill Walk follow a meandering stream and would have been the paths taken by the Astor family on their way to church on Sunday.
Diana’s Walk was named for a statue of Diana that once graced the Italian Garden. Faith’s Garden was named in honor of the castle’s owner in celebration of her 50th wedding anniversary. Narrow pathways through these gardens allow visitors to touch the flowers and smell their sweet fragrances.
There are other garden areas of note — a rhododendron garden, Anne Boleyn’s Walk with trees over 100 years old, a blue garden, and more.
There are also two mazes on the property. The Yew Maze is over 100 years old, and from what I gather, it’s a fairly easy maze to get through.
For a bit more of a challenge, the Water Maze was installed in 1999. Visitors try to make their way to the center folly without getting sprayed by water jets that randomly spout water.
William Astor’s grandson, Gavin opened the castle and grounds to the public in 1963. Since 1983, the property has been owned by Broadland Properties.
There are many things to see and do at the castle beyond the building and the garden. They host several events throughout the year including an art week, a car show, and events centered around holidays and seasonal blooms.
The Snowdrop Walk is going on until March 2, but never fear. Daffodils are on their way. Dazzling Daffodils 2025 runs from March 17 to the 23rd.
If you are a golfer, you might enjoy the castle’s 27-hole golf course. Also on the property is a wellness center that offers massage and reflexology, nutrition therapy, pilates, and more.
And if you really want to make the most of your visit, you can stay the night in either the bed and breakfast or the 28-room boutique hotel on site.
The castle and grounds have been the filming location for many films and television series including The Princess Bride, The Other Boleyn Girl, Bridgerton, and The Crown.
If you are visiting for the day, the grounds open at 10:30. The castle opens at noon. You might want to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy dining in the open air or visit the nearby Moat Restaurant.
Dogs are allowed on leash in the garden — not in the castle.
Plan to spend the better part of the day exploring this beautiful garden, and if you’re lucky, you just might see Anne Boleyn. It’s said she haunts the garden.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. That’s about it for today. Join me here tomorrow to find out where we are going next.
As a reminder, I release a new episode every single day. You can find past episodes anywhere you listen to podcasts or you can find them at our website — agardenaday.com.
Thanks for listening. If all goes well, I’ll be right back here tomorrow. See you then!
To learn more about Hever Castle and its stunning gardens, check out these links:
https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hever_Castle
https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/post/guide-to-hever-castle
https://www.historichouses.org/house/hever-castle/
https://www.tripsavvy.com/hever-castle-the-complete-guide-4769233
https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/resources/anne-boleyn-places/hever-castle/
https://www.theflashpacker.net/hever-castle-day-trip/
https://www.historyhit.com/locations/hever-castle/
https://www.travelherstory.com/europe/hever-castle-anne-boleyn-childhood-home/
http://hever.org/hever-castle
https://www.worldsfacts.com/27-interesting-facts-about-hever-castle/
https://www.handmadekent.co.uk/hever-castle-and-gardens/
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