Raising the Portcullis

The portcullis has been raised and the gates are open for 2020.

Did you know that we are now open daily until Sunday 1 November. We can’t wait to welcome you all back! 😊

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.

Find out more about Hever Castle:

Follow Hever Castle:

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Either a complicated locking mechanism being unlocked or perhaps a portcullis if the clank at the end was more solid

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A portcullis is a vertically heavy-closing gate.