Historians on Tour - Hever Castle

For those that know me will know that Hever is one of my favourite castles and somewhere I love to go. I've have been there so many times and it never gets boring. For this blog I will link in the Hever Castle at Christmas blog, https://wanderingthroughtheages.blogspot.com/2020/12/christmas-at-hever-castle.html

as that contains all the history behind this castle. But for this I'm going to concentrate mostly on my visit and why it means so much to me.

Our Visit

Like with any place that I have been multiple times I have no need for an tour guide or the guide book. We parked in the car park opposite the castle main gate and made our way to the entrance. We were booked in and told a time for when to go to the castle. This meant that we had some time to walk around the gardens and get some thing to eat. Some of the gardens were closed off due to the covid restrictions, building work and a wedding being set up.

The gardens were beautiful, nearly everything was in bloom and smelt wonderful. Out of all the flowers my favourite was the Anne Boleyn rose, every where we went it was out in bloom and looked fantastic. We walked down to the lake where we took some pictures and Jordan got a panoramic photo of the lake. It was so still and beautiful. Because of the wedding being set up we didn't get much chance to look around the Italian gardens.We walked back round and then went to find somewhere to sit for something to eat as we had half an hour before had to go into the castle. We sat by the water maze watching all the children go in dry and then come out completely soaking wet. The funniest of which was a class of school children, would hate to be their parents when they got home. We walked back slowly to the castle and joined the queue outside. 

Just as we stood waiting to go inside it started to rain, but luckily we got inside just before it went full pelt. All the way around the courtyard there was A-frames that had information about the castle, it's history and a little quiz at the bottom. Once inside we had to follow the one way system and follow social distancing. I will quickly say that all over the castle there was the odd display of the most beautiful flowers. I took pictures on my way round and answered any question that Jordan had. This I think is the first time that I have taken as many photos as I have done, it's probably because I know I need them now for these blogs. No matter how many times that I have been to Hever, I've never noticed how many drawings there were that had been done by Hans Holbein. I don't know if it's due to the book that I am reading about his (a review will be coming), but I seem to notice them more and more. I love seeing them as they still look the same as they did all those years ago and from reading about how he did his drawings, it feel as though he has captured his target so well as though they are still sat there looking at you. 

I have 2 favourite rooms at Hever, the first is what is believed to be Anne Boleyn's bedroom and the second is the long gallery. Anne's room is the first room you enter when you head upstairs, there are 13 steps up and your in what is the smallest room in the castle. The room is covered in oak panelling but the room is so light and airy. Hanging on one wall is a lovely portrait on Anne, while on the other walls there is family tree and what is believed to be a drawing done by Holbein before Anne went to he execution. There is also part of the bed frame that is believed to have been part of her bed. The gallery is on the top floor of the house and is just a beautiful space. All along the left wall is portraits of those from the time period, it's like the picture version of a Tudor family tree. On the right hand side of the room there is a few items from the time period as well as 2 wax work models in a scene of what looks like a young Anne and her governess. There is so much light flooding into this room that it add some kind of magic to the room. This room looks so different from when I last saw it at Christmas, with our without the trees and decorations, this room is still fantastic.

The room that you go though after Anne's bedroom contains her books of honours and prays. These are personal items that belonged to Anne and would have been with her though out her life. She even inscribed her name and a few lines within one of the books and is believed to have had one with her when she climbed the scaffold to her execution, which she then handed to her lady in waiting. A room just down the corridor is meant to have been the room that Henry VIII stayed in when he was courting Anne. On the walls there are more Holbein drawings and a massive fireplace. The room is completely oak panelled which does make it very dark, but when you walk in you can imagine Henry sleeping in the room or getting ready for a day of hunting. 

The rest of the rooms on the top floor are more modern and it what was added by the Waldolf Astor family. They extended the rear and modernised of the castle which can been seen in these rooms. Even though they are more modern there is still the panelled walls and the beams in the ceiling, which is one of my favourite things about historic houses. I love Hever for the fact that it makes me feel so close to Anne as though I am walking in her shoes. No matter how many times I go to Hever I will never get bored and will always be in a happy place as soon as I step inside. 

Since I can remember I have always wanted picked Hever as my ideal wedding venue, but recently that idea has changed as I seem to have realised that it is to far away. But this place still holds a place in my heart and I'm sure will be somewhere that I will continue to go and visit. I can remember the first time that I went to Hever, I was still at school and my mum had booked us both on a coach trip for the day. Knowing how much I love Anne Boleyn, this will be one of my favourite places to go as this is a place that makes me feel closer to her and to be able to walk in her shoes along with seeing and touching what she did.