Hever Castle

Hever Castle, near where we were staying, was the seat of the Boleyn, originally 'Bullen' family. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century and converted into a manor in 1462 by Geoffrey Boleyn, who served as Lord Mayor of the City of London.

courtyard

The original country house timber remains can still be seen within the stone walls of the fortification. Some time after 1505, the Boleyn family moved in, and Anne Boleyn, her sister, Mary, and their brother, George, although probably not born here, did grow up here for a time. Anne was eventually sent to the Netherlands and then to the French court for her education from 1513 to 1521. In 1521, she was brought to the court of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon, where she caught Henry's eye and caused a a whole lot of mess. Anne married Henry in 1533, and after several still births and one little girl (Elizabeth I), Henry grew tired of her and having no heir. Charges were trumped up, and Anne and her brother George were executed in 1536. When her her father Thomas Boleyn died in 1539, the property came into the possession of Henry VIII. He bestowed it on Anne of Cleves (wife number 4, if you wanna know) upon the annulment of their marriage (1540), but she probably spent little time there (although she did die there).
In the 1920s, the house was bought and restored to glory by the Astors (it is amazing what a bit of American money can do for an English house). They completely changed most things and so the house you see is really more 1920s than 1520s. But there are some amazing portraits and the gardens are beautiful (and the coy fish in the moat are ginormous).

Will and Kelly, fresh from America

Kelly, Diane, and Will in the yew maze

Triumphant Me in the center of the maze

Dad and Juliette in the water maze--if you stepped on a stone going the wrong path, water shot up. But if you follow spritely Juliette, who is too light to trip the water traps, you still get wet.

The Italian Garden boat dock... and us with lollies

The rose gardens

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