Hever Castle in Kent, England, Anne Boleyn's Childhood Home Hever Castle in Kent Anne Boleyn's Childhood Home Hever Castle was Anne's childhood home, and provided a backdrop for her courtship with Henry VIII, whom she married in 1533. Hever castle may have been Anne Boleyn's birthplace, provided her year of birth was 1507. It is more likely that she was born at Blickling Hall around 1500, but her exact place of birth is unknown. We would be more apt to know WHERE Anne was born if we could conclusively say WHEN she was born (see Anne's year of birth ). Anne Boleyn's great-grandfather, Geoffrey Bullen, purchased Hever Castle in the 1400's, then passed it along to his grandson Thomas, Anne's father. Thomas Bullen (or "Boleyn") and his family moved to Hever in about 1504 or 1505 from Blickling Hall, where they'd lived previously.

Within one or two years after Anne died, both her parents died as well and left no heirs (their only son George was executed at around the same time as Anne), so Hever Castle became the property of the Crown. Henry VIII gave it as a divorce gift to Anne of Cleves, who lived in it thereafter. It then passed through other hands, and was in a state of abandoned disrepair until the early 1900ï¿½s when William Waldorf Astor purchased it, renovated it, and essentially saved it. There were three main periods in the construction of Hever Castle: 1300, 1500 and 1900. The oldest part of the castle was built around 1270, and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey, all surrounded by a moat and approached by a wooden drawbridge. In 1500, the Bullen family added a comfortable family house inside the protective wall.

Finally, in 1903, the castle was purchased by William Waldorf Astor, an American millionaire who lavished a fortune on restoring the castle, filling it with treasures, building a little "Tudor Village" (which can be rented for events) and creating the gardens and lake (scroll to view photos of these). Much of what you see when you visit (and a visit is heartily recommended!) is the result of his imagination, standards of perfection, and money. See Tudor Facts for more information. Beautiful Video of Hever Castle Contributed by Nancy Enright, scanned from "Anne Boleyn" by Norah Lofts Anne's bedstead takes up most of the wall on your right as you enter the room from the hallway. The window is directly facing you from the doorway, with the fireplace on your left. In the far right hand corner of the room, just on the other side of the bedstead, is a spiral stone staircase. The room is very small and holds only a dozen or so people at a time WITHOUT the full, intact bed. If the bed were in place, you could barely squeeze into the room! As you can see, the walls in this room are stone.

Other parts of the house have wood paneling. Hever in springtime. Hever Castle - History, Rooms & Tours Hever Castle Book online to save money! HEVER CASTLE Heraldry About Hever Castle Dating back to the 13th century, Hever Castle was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I. It formed the unlikely backdrop to a sequence of tumultuous events that changed the course of Britain’s history, monarchy and religion. Its panelled rooms house fine furniture, tapestries, antiques and what is regarded as ‘one of the best collections of Tudor portraits after the National Portrait Gallery’ by David Starkey. The Book of Hours Room beautifully illuminates two prayer books which belonged to Anne Boleyn and bear her inscriptions and signature. Today, much of what you see is the result of the remarkable efforts of William Waldorf Astor, who used his fortune to restore and extend the Castle in the early 20th century. The Astor Suite is dedicated to its more recent history, showcasing pictures and memorabilia relating to the Astor family and the Edwardian period.

Hever Castle is what every child wants a castle to be: crenellated, moated and haunted. A permanent exhibition in the Long Gallery brings the 16th century to life with costumed figures illustrating key events in Anne’s life at the Castle. When visiting the Castle we recommend you allow at least an hour to enjoy it. View opening times for final entry and final exit. [The portrait collection at Hever Castle is the] "greatest privately owned public collection that tells the story of the Tudors." Philip Mould Beautiful place and well worth a visit! Amanda Fletcher on Facebook Well worth the money. Always wanted to visit and picked a glorious day to do so. A brilliant place for a family day out. Alison F on TripAdvisor Hever Castle and grounds make a perfect setting for an away day whether alone, with friends or family. I had only picked up on Hever Castle's Tudor history, however, the modern history is just as fascinating. George Grimes on TripAdvisor Wonderful historic castle and beautiful gardens – well worth visiting, we'd go again if we were nearer.

Gardens wheelchair friendly (she managed castle steps) Caz on Trip Advisor Ann Boleyn's family home, this is a very beautiful castle in miniature. The castle has some amazing artefacts, including the letter Ann sent to Henry whilst she was in the Tower awaiting execution. Some of the rooms appear to still be in use today. The grounds are very lovely, with a water maze and a real maze. Christine on TripAdvisor Hever Castle - The Anne Boleyn Files Hever Castle FREE Anne Boleyn Files Welcome Pack of 5 goodies sent directly to your inbox ↓ Enter First Name ↓ ↓ Enter Your Email ↓ Includes 3 Free Reports, Book List and Primary Sources List Please check your spam box if you don't receive a confirmation email. PLEASE NOTE: Your privacy is essential to us and we will not share your details with anyone. Recent Posts Click the flag for our US Resource Page US/World Books Hever Castle The History of Hever Castle The beautiful Hever Castle, situated in the lovely Kent countryside in England, dates back more that 700 years but was lovingly restored in the early 20th century by William Waldorf Astor, a wealthy American.

The oldest part of this charming castle was built in about 1270 and was owned by William de Hever, a Sheriff under King Edward I. This medieval castle was made up of a huge gatehouse and walled bailey which were surrounded by a moat, for defence, and entered by a wooden drawbridge. When the “Bullen” family took control of the castle in the 15th century, they added a Tudor house inside the castle walls. Sir Thomas Bullen, later known as Boleyn, inherited Hever Castle from his father Sir William Bullen in 1505 and made it into a family home for his wife, Elizabeth Howard, and three children – Mary, Anne and George. The castle is famous for being the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, who was executed in 1536 after being Queen for just 1,000 days. After Anne Boleyn was executed for treason and adultery, along with her brother George, Thomas Boleyn became shunned by the Court and led an unhappy two years until his death in 1538.

It is then that the castle fell into the hands of Henry VIII who gave it to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, when he divorced her in 1540. Anne of Cleves lived at Hever Castle as “The King’s Sister” until her death in 1557 when it was bought by Sir Edward Waldegrave. The castle remained in the Waldegrave family for 160 years until it was deemed too small for James Waldegrave, Ambassador to France and 1st Earl Waldegrave. The castle was sold in the early 1700s to Sir William Humphreys, Lord Mayor of London (1714) and remained in the Humphreys family until 1749 when it became owned by Sir Timothy Waldo. Sadly, as Hever Castle was passed through the Humphreys, Waldo and Meade-Waldo families it gradually declined and was in a very sorry state by the end of the 19th century and probably would have turned into an uninhabited ruin if William Waldorf Astor had not stepped in and bought it in 1903.

William Waldorf Astor, an American who became a British subject and was created the first Viscount of Hever in 1917, set about renovating the castle with the intention of enlarging the property into a Tudor-style “village” without detracting from the castle or ruining it. With the help of his architect F.L.Pearson, he added accommodation such as guest rooms and staff quarters which were linked by an interior passageway and linked to the main Castle by a bridge that ran across the famous moat. The grounds of Hever Castle were landscaped under the direction of Joseph Cheal to allow for a wide range of shrubs and trees to be planted. If you visit the castle now, you will be able to enjoy rose gardens, a paved courtyard and a maze of yew trees. A two year excavation project in the meadows and marshland at Hever resulted in a beautiful 35 acre lake which can now be enjoyed by rowing boat or by doing a lake walk and spotting birds like kingfishers, swans, crested grebes and herons, who all make their home around the lake.

The landscaping project also included making a covered walk from the lake which is bordered by columns and that runs through a pretty Italian style garden complete with grottoes, fountains, cascades, statues and sculptures. The statues and sculptures were collected during Mr Astor’s time as the American Ambassador in Italy. The Astor family resided at Hever Castle for around 80 years until 1983 when the castle and estate were sold to Broadland Properties Limited of Yorkshire who still own and maintain the castle. Find out more about Hever Castle, and visiting it, at Want to see more photos of this beautiful castle? Click here .

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.php on line 577 Strict Standards: Non-static method JLoader::import() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/libraries/loader.php on line 186 Strict Standards: Non-static method JLoader::import() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/libraries/loader.php on line 186 Strict Standards: Non-static method JLoader::import() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/libraries/loader.php on line 186 Strict Standards: Non-static method JURI::base() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 474 Strict Standards: Non-static method JURI::base() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 475 Strict Standards: Only variables should be passed by reference in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 439 Strict Standards: Non-static method JURI::base() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 474 Strict

 Standards: Non-static method JURI::base() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 475 Strict Standards: Only variables should be passed by reference in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 439 Strict Standards: Non-static method JURI::base() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 474 Strict Standards: Non-static method JURI::base() should not be called statically in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 475 Strict Standards: Only variables should be passed by reference in /home/inlondon/public_html/plugins/system/JCH_Optimize.php on line 439 Hever Castle in Kent, near London was the ancestral family home of Anne Boleyn, and was completely restored by William Waldorf Astor in the 20th century Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home – Hever Castle Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home – Hever Castle Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home – Hever Castle Hever Castle, Kent Day three of our research

 trip began with a private tour of Hever Castle in Kent, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home.

I had been looking forward to this day since the moment we booked and could hardly believe that we’d have the castle and a guide all to ourselves. I think it’s a little unusual for individuals to book private tours because when we arrived we were met by a lovely lady in the parking lot that enquired as to the whereabouts of the two tour busses… Instead of expecting two people, they were expecting two busloads! After lots of giggles and clarification that we were indeed only two very enthusiastic individuals touring the castle, we met with our guide. Myself and our lovely guide It had been years since I’d last visited Hever, and seeing it again was like seeing a beloved old friend. I could hardly contain my excitement as we crossed over the drawbridge and under the portcullis into the inner courtyard. Our guide shared stories of the history of the building and we breathed in its every detail. The original defensive castle, built by William de Hever in 1270, consisted of the gatehouse and walled bailey. In 1462, Anne Boleyn’s great-grandfather, Geoffrey Boleyn, purchased the castle, extended it and converted it into a private home.

When the Boleyn family moved into Hever in c. 1505 they added a comfortable Tudor dwelling within the walls. Anne Boleyn, together with her siblings Mary and George, is likely to have spent a good deal of her childhood here prior to being sent to join the court of the Archduchess Margaret in 1513. I found it incredible that in the very rooms that I now wandered, Anne Boleyn once played with her siblings. What must Anne, the child, have been like? Remarkable I imagine; undoubtedly fiercely intelligent and witty; perhaps competitive and a little stubborn too. Anne of Cleves After Anne’s fall and Thomas Boleyn’s death, the castle became the property of Henry VIII. In 1540 he passed it on to Anne of Cleves as part of a very generous annulment settlement. From here the castle passed through the hands of several owners including the Waldegraves, the Humfreys and the Meade Waldos. In 1903 the American millionaire, William Waldorf Astor, purchased Hever. He went about restoring the castle, building the Tudor village and creating the gardens and lake.

The Castle that Anne would have known was surrounded by rugged, marshy terrain and dense forest, nothing like the manicured gardens that greet us today. There is a wonderful painting in the Long Gallery that depicts the Castle in such a setting – a real eye opener! I was also surprised to learn that the original village of Hever stood within the grounds of today’s Castle before Astor relocated the road and village to allow for greater privacy! Learn more about Tudor Hever in this article by Sarah Morris. Let’s turn our attention to the interior of the castle. The Inner Hall is now the reception room but in Tudor times was the Great Kitchen, complete with a large fireplace and a well. Several Tudor portraits hang on the panelled walls including Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Anne Boleyn. On the mantelpiece is a 20th century replica of the clock that Henry VIII gave Anne Boleyn as a wedding gift, the original of which is now in the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Dining Hall was once the Boleyn Great Hall and is where the family would have entertained guests, including the king and his retinue.

It was originally opened to the roof rafters but Thomas Boleyn added a Long Gallery above it in 1506. On the door of the Dining Hall we find our first Tudor artefact, one of Henry VIII’s locks. Henry, ever paranoid of assassination attempts, took his personal locksmith with him when visiting the homes of his courtiers to fit special door locks to his bedchamber for added security. The elaborately carved Minstrels’ Gallery was commissioned by William Waldorf Astor, as was the linenfold panelling. The Library was probably an estate office in Tudor times and today houses an impressive collection of books and locally produced Tunbridge ware. During our tour, a lovely bird found its way into the library and perched itself on one of the bookcases. Luckily, the groundkeeper was on hand to usher the bird to freedom once more. The Morning Room was a private retiring room in Anne Boleyn’s day and during the reign of her daughter, Elizabeth I, the Catholic Waldegrave family added a ‘priest hole’ into the corner of the room where the china cupboard is today.

Local legend has it that a priest perished whilst in hiding and that his spirit still lingers… The view from Anne Boleyn’s Bedroom, Hever Castle. The stone spiral staircase opens into a small, simple room with an original fifteenth century half-domed ceiling and a simple fireplace carved with Tudor roses. This room is traditionally believed to be Anne Boleyn’s bedroom, although it is unclear as to what the sleeping arrangements were in Anne’s time. There is a lovely portrait of Anne in the room depicting her in her famous ‘B’ necklace and a French hood. The bedhead inscribed ‘Part of Anne Boleyn’s bed from Hever 1520’ is sadly not authentic and more than likely a Victorian piece made to intrigue visitors. In the next room, two of Anne Boleyn’s illuminated prayer books (often referred to as Books of Hours) are on display. The earliest one was handwritten on vellum in Bruges, c. 1450, and bears the poignant inscription Le temps viendra (the time will come), Je Anne Boleyn.

The other is claimed to be the prayer book Anne took with her to her execution, it is inscribed, ‘Remember me when you do pray that hope doth lead from day to day. Anne Boleyn.’ It’s worth mentioning that I have never seen a contemporary source corroborate this claim. Find out more about Anne’s book of hours here . This room also houses a magnificent tapestry that illustrates the marriage of Princess Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister, to Louis XII of France in 1514. It is possible that Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary may be among the ladies depicted in the tapestry, as they are believed to have been present at the wedding. Although Eric Ives, Anne’s biographer, believes it’s possible that Anne did not join Mary Tudor’s entourage until her coronation in November, one month after the wedding. Whatever the case, we had fun trying to identify Anne! Funnily enough, Sarah and I chose the same woman. The Queens’ Chamber houses portraits of all of Henry’s wives, although some of the identifications are questionable… A portrait labeled as Catherine Parr c.1528, to me looks very much like Catherine of Aragon.

Anne Boleyn, by an anonymous painter. Hever Castle, Kent. Even so, Hever is certainly home to an impressive collection of Tudor portraits. David Starkey believes it’s ‘one of the best collections of Tudor portraits after the National Portrait Gallery’ and I tend to agree with him. Moving right along, Thomas Boleyn built the Staircase Gallery over the Entrance Hall in 1506 to give access between the two wings of the house and the Long Gallery upstairs. Here you will find two portraits of Elizabeth I. One of the largest bedchambers in the house is King Henry VIII’s Bedchamber named so because of its majestic proportions, although it’s not known for certain which room Henry slept in during his stays. The intricately carved tester bed dates from 1540 and is certainly representative of the luxury Henry would have been accustomed to. It is important to look up when in this room, as the ceiling dates from c. 1462, making it the oldest in the Castle. The panelling dates from 1565, minus the section over the fireplace added to commemorate former residents, Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves.

Anne Boleyn waxwork, Hever Castle Perhaps the most impressive space in the entire Castle is the Long Gallery, measuring 30 metres in length and running the entire width of the building. It was built in 1506 by Thomas Boleyn to display art collections, entertain important guests, and exercise during inclement weather. It is said that Henry VIII held court from an elevated alcove at the far end of the Gallery, currently home to a life-sized waxwork Anne Boleyn figure, dressed in a replica of the gown Anne wore for her coronation. This is on display as part of a ‘Royal Romance’ exhibition. Also in the Gallery, figures of Henry VIII’s six wives and the King himself! Henry VIII’s Wives On another note, I had read in Alison Weir’s Lady in the Tower that, ‘there is a posthumous reminder of her [Anne’s] fate: on the stone newel of the spiral staircase leading to the Long Gallery, there is incised the cipher that appears in Henry VIII’s love letters to her, and below it – at some unknown date – someone has carved an axe.’ (Pg.

283) Sadly, I forgot to take the information with me and couldn’t remember the details so will have to check this on my next visit! We spent the rest of our time exploring the idyllic gardens, and even partook in some archery. The gift shop had some wonderful models of houses on display, including one set in the year 1540. I couldn’t leave without buying myself a replica of Anne Boleyn’s iconic necklace, although I decided to be a little different and buy a ‘G’, rather than a ‘B’. I said my farewells to Hever once more and unlike my last visit, remembered to visit St. Peter’s Church, which is just across the road. The Church is well known for being the final resting place of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s father, but he is not the only Boleyn buried here. Thomas Boleyn’s Tomb Henry Boleyn, son of Sir Thomas and Lady Elizabeth, thought to have died in infancy, is buried near his father; a brass cross marks his tomb. Read more about the history of St. Peter’s Church here .

After a picnic lunch we made our way to Pashley Manor in Ticehurst, continuing our search for Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home- Hever Castle Hever Castle- Kent Hever Castle The very mention of the name ‘Hever Castle’ immediately sparks images of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. This fairy tale castle, in the beautiful Kent countryside, was her childhood home but was not the setting of her birth as is so often thought. The oldest part of the castle, built by William de Hever in 1270 as a defensive fortress, consists of a gatehouse and walled Bailey. In 1451, Anne Boleyn’s great-grandfather purchased the castle and converted it into a private home. When the Boleyn family moved into Hever in the early 1500’s they added a comfortable Tudor dwelling within the walls. Anne, together with her siblings Mary and George, is likely to have spent a good deal of her childhood here prior to being sent to join the court of the Archduchess Margaret in 1513. In 1533, King Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn.

But only a few short years later, had Anne executed at the Tower of London for Treason and adultery. Her brother George Boleyn, also perished under the executioner’s blade. After Thomas Boleyn’s death in 1539, the castle became the property of Henry VIII. In 1540 he passed it on to Anne of Cleves as part of a very generous annulment settlement that also included Richmond Palace. From here the castle passed through the hands of several owners including the Waldegraves, the Humfreys and the Meade Waldos. In 1903 the American millionaire, William Aldorf Astor, purchased Hever. He went about restoring the castle, building the Tudor village and creating the gardens and lake. Hever Rose Garden Hever Castle is a must-see destination for all Anne Boleyn fans. Not only is it her childhood home, a place that would have held so many treasured memories for her but it’s also the home of two breathtaking Book of Hours both signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn herself. The castle also houses 16th century portraits, furniture and tapestries.

The castle is opened daily until the 31st October. 1000+ images about Hever Castle on Pinterest | Mary boleyn, Portrait and England Forward Thomas Boleyn married Elizabeth Howard, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Norfolk and had three surviving children: Mary, Anne (second wife of Henry VIII) and George. Upon Anne’s return from France in 1522 she joined Catherine of Aragon’s household but continued to visit Hever Castle regularly. In fact, seven of Henry VIII’s love letters were sent to Anne while she was residing at Hever in 1528 See More Anne Boleyn's home Hever Castle unveils Henry VIII portrait - BBC News BBC News Anne Boleyn's home Hever Castle unveils Henry VIII portrait 10 March 2015 Image copyright Hever Castle Image caption The painting has been acquired on behalf of the castle A portrait of Henry VIII as a young man has been unveiled at Anne Boleyn's childhood home at Hever Castle, Kent. The picture is a 16th Century replica of a painting by Joos van Cleve. The original Joos van Cleve portrait is in the Royal Collection .

The painting has been purchased on behalf of the owners of the castle and is part of an exhibition there. According to the castle, it is thought to date to 1532 and pre-dates more widely-known portraits by Holbein . 'Desperately courting Anne' Art historian Philip Mould, who acquired the painting, said it offered an exciting look at a man who was "a colossus of English history" at a time when he was pursuing his second wife. "This is the Henry who, in 1532, was courting the woman who lived here at Hever - the Queen Anne-to-be," he said. Staff at the castle near Edenbridge said the unveiling coincided with the recent broadcast of the BBC's Wolf Hall and a renewed public interest in "all things Tudor". Author and broadcaster Kate Williams, who was at the unveiling, described Hever Castle as a "Tudor time machine".

"It's like walking into Anne Boleyn's house as it was when she was standing here and Henry VIII was desperately courting her, begging her to marry him, and she was still holding back." The exhibition at the castle, A Bed of Roses, includes a medieval oak bed frame believed to be the marriage bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Image caption Anne Boleyn grew up at Hever Castle

Question: In which Kent castle did Ann Boleyn grow up?
Answer: HEVER CASTLE