Private Tours to Hever Castle & garden
Hever Castle was Anne Boleyn’s childhood home. It’s not hard to imagine Henry VIII courting her here, although much of its ancient appearance is the result of the restoration carried out in the early 20th century by William Waldorf Astor, a later owner. There is an exhibition about Anne Boleyn’s life and times, a display including two prayer books owned by her, and a very fine collection of Tudor portraits.
The Astor family owned Hever Castle for much of the 20th century. William Waldorf Astor, an American lawyer and politician, inherited vast wealth. He settled here in England and is remembered as a newspaper owner and a philanthropist. He spent huge sums on the restoration of Hever Castle, and created the lake and beautiful gardens that are such a highlight of any visit today. His first home here in England, Cliveden, also has wonderful gardens open to the public.
PRICES
All tours are by car, for up to 6 people, with your own private driver-guide. Tour prices range between £620 for 6 hour tours to individual properties, to £735 for 9 hour tours to two properties.
Hever Castle & Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle has been described as ‘the loveliest castle in the world’. Once it was a medieval fortress, home to several queens. Then, in the 1930s, Lady Baillie transformed it into a country house where she entertained the fashionable and the famous. It is surrounded by lovely gardens.
Hever Castle & Chartwell
Chartwell was the country home of Sir Winston Churchill and his family. It has been been carefully restored to how it was when he lived there. His Artist Studio is full of his paintings, and the extensive gardens are much as he created them.
Hever Castle & Penshurst Place
One of the most ancient houses in England, Penshurst Place was the childhood home of the Elizabethan poets Sir Philip Sidney and Mary Sidney. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens; the peony border, in flower in May-June, is not to be missed.
