Hever Castle is an attractive fortified manor house surrounded by a moat.
The original moated castle was built in 1270 and consisted of a massive
gatehouse and a walled bailey, approached by a wooden drawbridge. In the
late 15th century the castle became the home of the Bullen family who
built a comfortable Tudor house within the walls. The castle was the childhood
home of Anne Bullen (Boleyn), future wife of King Henry VIII and mother
of Queen Elizabeth I. After failing to provide Henry with the son he wanted,
she was executed on a trumped-up charge of High Treason. Following the
death of her father two years later, Henry seized the castle and gave
it to Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife. She remained at Hever Castle until
her death in 1557, when the castle was bought by the Waldegraves. Sir
Edward Waldegrave became the first Baronet of Hever Castle in 1642.
Between 1749 and 1903 the castle was owned by the Meade-Waldos, but by
the end of the 19th century the castle was in a state of neglect. In 1903,
the wealthy American, William Waldorf, purchased Hever castle and commenced
an extensive restoration of the castle, the creation of the lake and gardens
and the construction of a Tudor style village to provide more accommodation.
Visitors can view the restored castle and explore the gardens, which
also contain a Yew Maze, a Splashing Water Maze and an adventure playground.
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