When we decided to go to London, I knew that we needed to visit Hever Castle. Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second queen to Henry VIII and mother to Elizabeth I. I admire Anne deeply, and I’ve wanted to visit Hever for a very long time. This was a bit of bucket list stop for me, and I really enjoyed our trip.
Getting there
For those traveling from London, Hever Castle is best reached by train. You have two options to jump on the Southern Line of the National Rail. Both trips take about 50 minutes of train time (not including transfers between the lines). You can take the Northern line of the London Underground to the London Bridge station then transfer to the Southern line. Or you can catch the Thameslink line on the National Rail at Saint Pancras then transfer to the Southern line at East Croydon (our hotel was across from St. Pancras, so this was our choice). You will take the Southern line to either the Edenbridge Town station or the Hever station.
Edenbridge Town: The Edenbridge Town station is located in the town. While it’s a small station, it does have a platform and a waiting room. You can wait here for one of the local taxi companies that service the castle. We booked a cab ride a few days earlier, and I would recommend reserving your ride ahead of time. The B&B staff will also help book your return trip to the station.
Hever: The Hever station is more of a whistle stop. It doesn’t have services, and you can walk to the castle from here. Keep in mind that the Hever Castle website describes this as a “rustic” walk. If you watch their video clip of the route, you’ll see that you are walking through fields along a small path. I wouldn’t recommend this option if you are traveling with a bag to spend the night.
What to do
Admission to Hever Castle is included in your stay. You have access to the castle grounds and gardens before they open to General Admission.
The grounds and gardens: Several gardens make up the grounds of the castle. Formal Italian gardens and a hedge maze sit behind the castle. I would also recommend following the path out to Anne of Cleves ruins. The path loops behind a beautiful lake, and you have great views of the whole property.
The castle: You’ll enter Hever Castle through the portcullis. Cross over the courtyard and queue by the main entrance. The staff will hand you an audio guided tour. You’ll explore the public rooms on the main floor first then head upstairs to the bedrooms. Hever Castle has both permanent and rotating exhibits. During our visit, we saw an exhibit on the 500th anniversary of the Chateau Vert, the first court pageant Anne attended. The exhibits include items directly connected with Anne and Henry.
Be sure the stroll through the Long Gallery. It features a series of portraits of key Tudor era figures and has some stunning stained glass windows. You’ll wrap up with the transition of Hever into a more modern property used by the wealthy Astors in the Edwardian era. The guided tour lasts about an hour.
Where to stay
We decided to stay overnight at the Hever Castle Bed and Breakfast. The Astor family purchased Hever in the early 1900s and added a range of Tudor style buildings to house their guests and servants. These have been converted into a cozy B&B. You can stay in the Bed and Breakfast in the Anne Boleyn Wing or in the attached Medley Court, known as the Astor Wing. The property includes a library, a billiards room, and a dining room.
Reservations open six months in advance for the Bed and Breakfast rooms, and the Medley Court rooms book 8 weeks out. If Hever is a must stay for you, I would recommend being ready to book early and having some flexibility in your trip dates. We reserved a Superior Double Room in the Anne Boleyn Wing. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. The rooms are wonderful, and the staff are great. We stayed in the Pearmain room and had a beautiful view of the castle.
Where to eat
Keep in mind that Hever operates on seasonal hours. If you are visiting in the off-season, certain services are not available every day of the week. We checked in on a Tuesday during the off-season, so both the castle and the inn were closed. We planned ahead and grabbed a few boxed sandwiches for dinner at the M&S in St. Pancras before we caught the train.
At the castle: During regular business hours, you can find several options for food on the castle grounds. These range from snack stands to sit-down restaurant service to afternoon tea. Guests of Hever Castle receive a full English breakfast in the dining room the morning they check out. The spread includes a variety of pastries, fruit, and yogurt on a self-serve buffet and a plated meal.
Nearby: The Henry VIII Inn is also located across the main road from the castle (you have to walk out to the main road). The inn’s dining room wasn’t open the night we stayed, so double check the hours beforehand.
