SEPTEMBER 2024
One of the reasons that I chose the South of England as my July trip, was that I really wanted to visit Hever Castle. I had seen pictures of walled rose gardens and an ivy-overgrown castle that really sparked my interest. Hever Castle is a very popular and kid-friendly spot. In this blogpost I will give my honest opinion about Hever Castle so you can decide for yourself whether you would want to visit.
Practical information
Hever Castle is located in Kent. It is quite close to London, so it attracts quite a few daytripping tourists. Despite the stellar entrance fee of 23,50 pounds (if you book online), it is guaranteed to be busy on a sunny, weekend day. You can also just visit the gardens for 18,35 pounds, but I wouldn’t recommend this as the castle is what makes Hever interesting. We visited on a weekend, arrived at around 10.00 AM and there still were plenty of parking spots available. Hever has some food options, you can go for a greasy snack, as well as a healthy lunch. All quite expensive, so you can also do a BYO picknick.
Hever Castle
I absolutely loved the castle itself. The decorating is top notch, with beautiful furniture as well as plastered and wooden ceilings with many details. Hever Castle was inhabited by the Boleyns and they added several Tudor style additions to the castle. There is no timed entry into the castle, you have to join a small queue, which moves quite quickly. Strollers must be left outside. I unfortunately had to quickly skim through the castle as Hugo was a bit impatient, but still very impressed with what I have seen.
Hever Gardens
We visited the gardens of Hever just as the roses hit peak bloom. The walled garden that houses the rose garden was absolutely gorgeous! I absolutely loved some parts of the garden and found other parts overly kitsch. I expected a more English style garden, but a part of the garden is Italian inspired. This means kitsch statues and fountains, but also a beautiful gallery and terrace. The grounds are maintained impeccably, I cannot imagine how many hours this garden takes to maintain, which immediately explains the high entrance fee. All in all, I must admit I had mixed feelings regarding the style of the garden, should have done my research better!
Kids activities
Hever Castle is a great one with kids too. The grounds feature several playing areas, for kids of several ages. We loved the sandpit style playground, and our toddlers did too 😉 In the pictures below you can see a “castle” in the background, that was the area for older kids.
Hever also organizes several events. We visited on a day when there was jousting going on. The actors and horses came to pick up the audience at Hever Castle and from there went to a theatre where you could watch the jousting. Events are clearly indicated on the website of Hever Castle and can come at an extra cost.
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