Disclaimer: We were gifted entry to Hever Castle free of charge for the purposes of this review, but all words and pictures are mine.
Hever Castle in Edenbridge, Kent, was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife.
Having been to his residence at Leeds Castle several times, I hadn’t yet been to Hever which is about the same distance from us in Tonbridge.
Hever Castle is a beautiful building dating back as far as the 13th Century, surrounded by 125 acres of glorious grounds and gardens including a huge boating lake, and it’s a great family attraction particularly during warm, dry weather.
We were invited along on a gloriously sunny Saturday to explore and see what Hever Castle had on offer for families.
Note that there are two car parks at Hever and you’ll be directed to whichever car park is currently being filled; this does mean it’s not a good idea to arrange to meet family or friends in the car park as you cannot guarantee which one you’ll be in.
We parked at the lake view entrance gate, near to the beuatiful Guthrie Pavillion, and took in the gardens first.
Hever Castle
The castle itself has a rich and varied history spanning 700 years.
It has three floors containing antique furniture, Anne Boleyn’s books, instruments of torture (everyone loves those, right?), and a large collection of Tudor paintings with some very interesting looking people.
Although it’s quite fascinating to walk through, even for non-history buffs, unfortunately my oldest seems to have developed a strange and irrational fear of castles (she would make a terrible princess, evidently). This meant we didn’t get very long to look at each room.
If we were to go back with the children, we’d probably opt for garden-only entry which is cheaper. You can also take dogs with you (they aren’t allowed inside the castle, unsurprisingly).
Play areas
The children’s play areas are large and without a doubt were the kids’ favourite part of the day; they spent hours there.
Acorn Dell is aimed at younger children.
This is a large, sandy ‘natural’ play area dotted with boulders and structures for children up to seven years of age to explore.
Tudor Towers is a large castle-shaped structure containing lots of levels and things to explore and crawl through.
Inside there are punching bags, musical instruments and slides. Tudor Towers is aimed at slightly older children but my two went in accompanied and loved it!
Mazes
There are two mazes at Hever; the Yew Maze and the Water Maze.
The Yew Maze is a classic castle maze although it thankfully didn’t take us long to find the obelisk in the centre!
There is also a water maze, aimed at children.
The object is to reach the folly at the centre without getting wet; my smallest was too little to set off the sprays but they still had fun.
There were lots of very wet people coming away from the maze so if you do fancy it, then maybe bring along a change of clothes!
The Lake
The peaceful lake walk takes over an hour and circles the lake, with meadow flowers and large trees. This is probably something better suited to couples or older children, as I wasn’t convinced our small kids would make it without another meltdown.
We made it to the picturesque Japanese Tea House before turning back as it was getting late, but there are some beautiful views back towards the castle and you can rent boats if you’d like to go out on the lake.
Gardens
The gardens at Hever Castle are beautifully kept and if you happen to like flowers you’re in for an absolute treat, especially at this time of year.
From meadow flowers to formal gardens with statues and fountains there are acres to visit; definitely take your camera with you.
The Rose Garden
Deserving of a special mention is the beautiful Rose Garden. Definitely something for the summer, the Rose Garden is such a special place; when we visited the roses were in wonderful bloom and the scent was truly amazing.
What’s on
We went on a normal entry day and spent all day there; you definitely need at least four to five hours to make the most of your visit.
In addition, there are special events run throughout the year including jousting, triathlons and open air concerts in the outdoor theatre.
See the What’s On Guide to plan your trip.
Food and drink
There are several restaurants and kiosks selling ice cream dotted around the grounds at Hever Castle, as well as ample space for picnics if you’re organised.
If you fancy buying lunch there, the food isn’t cheap but there is good variation with hot and cold food, sandwiches and salads for a healthier option.
There are hot and cold options for children too.
Tickets
Tickets for Hever Castle and Gardens or just the Gardens can be bought at the gate or online at a slightly cheaper rate.
An online family tickets for two adults and two children aged five and over costs £44.30 for entry to the gardens and the castle. A gardens-only ticket costs £38.90. You can see all the ticket prices here.