George Lambert C. 1700 - 1765
A Prospect of Hever Castle taken from the North East from the River Eden
oil on oak panel
43 x 56 cm.
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge, 30 miles (48 km) south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539, it was the seat of the Boleyn (originally ''Bullen'') family.
Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there after her father, Thomas Boleyn, inherited it in 1505. The castle passed to him upon the death of his father, Sir William Boleyn. It later came into the possession of King Henry VIII''s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
The Grade I listed castle is now owned by the Guthrie family''s Broadland Properties.
History
There have been three main periods in the construction of this historic castle. The castle''s oldest part dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey. It was th
...en owned by James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele. The second period was when the castle, then in need of repair, was converted into a manor in 1462 by Geoffrey Boleyn, younger brother of Thomas Boleyn, Master of Gonville Hall, Cambridge. He added a Tudor dwelling within the walls. The third period of repair and renovation was in the 20th century, when it was acquired by William Waldorf Astor.
Geoffrey Boleyn''s grandson, Thomas Boleyn, inherited the castle in 1505. He lived there with his wife Lady Elizabeth Howard and their children George, Mary and Anne (the future wife of Henry VIII). It is not known if Anne was born at Hever (the year of her birth is not certain), but she lived there until she was sent to the Netherlands in 1513 to receive an education at the court of the Archduchess Margaret. Henry VIII often used the nearby Bolebroke Castle to conduct his courtship with Anne.
The property came into the possession of Henry VIII after the death of Anne''s father, Thomas Boleyn, in 1539. He bestowed it upon Anne of Cleves in 1540 as part of the settlement following the annulment of their marriage. Hever Castle still has one of Henry VIII''s private locks, taken with him on his various visits to noblemen''s houses and fitted to every door for his security.
Hever Castle from the Moat, circa 1850, by David Cox Jr.
The property subsequently passed through various owners, including the Waldegrave family from 1557 to 1715, the Humfreys family to 1749 and the Meade-Waldo family from 1749 to 1903. During this latter period of ownership, the castle fell into a poor state of repair, during which time it was leased to various private tenants.
In 1903, it was acquired and restored by the American millionaire William Waldorf Astor, who used it as a family residence. He completed a restoration, added the Tudor village (also known as the Astor Wing) and also added the Italian Garden to display his collection of statuary and ornaments.
The castle has been Grade I listed since 10 September 1954; that was after the addition of the Tudor village, ''a picturesque cluster of guest cottages''.
In 1983, the Astor family sold the castle to John Guthrie (1906-1992), chairman of the family-run business, Broadland Properties Limited.
The castle was used as the location for music videos. The Loggia on the lake was used as the location for a peace conference in the comedy-drama The Great. Other productions that have filmed on the property include The Princess Bride and Inkheart.
Attractions for tourists
Hever Castle is now a tourist attraction, drawing on its links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, its mazes, gardens and lakes. There is an annual event programme with assorted events, including jousting tournaments and archery displays in the summer months and an annual patchwork and quilting exhibition in September. The castle has also become the venue for
Internal Reference: 5103
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA1095784
Dateline of this antique is 18th Century
Height is 43cm (16.9inches)Width is 56cm (22.0inches)Depth is 1cm (0.4inches)
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