hevercastle.co.uk
Step into our Garden...
We hope to see you soon...
For more information visit our website
hevercastle.co.uk
or call ++44 (0)1732 861701 or email [email protected]
Hever, Near Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG
Fax: ++44 (0)1732 866796
© 2014 Hever Castle Ltd. Designed by Jo Mew Creative - jomewcreative.com
SCHOOL AND STUDENT
GROUPS INFORMATION
2014
The childhood home of Anne Boleyn
hevercastle.co.uk
“Romantic Hever
Castle is one of my
favourite British
landmarks.”
Dame Judi Dench
“Hever Castle now
has one of the best
collections of Tudor
portraits after the
National Portrait
Gallery.”
Monty Don officially
opened our Japanese
Tea House Folly in
June 2013.
David Starkey
Welcome to the 2014
Hever Castle and Gardens information
guide for school and student groups.
A NEW permanent exhibition looking at
the life of Anne Boleyn and the connection
to her childhood home, Hever Castle will
be opened during 2014. The exhibition in
the Castle’s Long Gallery brings 16th
century Hever Castle vividly to life with
costumed figures illustrating three key
events in Anne’s life at the Castle.
Attractions
About Hever Castle
04
What to see and do
06
Topics
The Tudors
08
Castle and houses
10
Rich and poor
11
Explore over 700 years of history at this
unique double-moated 13th century Castle
and fascinating Tudor House which was
once the home of Anne Boleyn.
Knights and dragons
12
Henry’s Wives
13
Choose your visit & admission rates
14
All the essential information needed to
arrange a visit to beautiful Hever Castle and
Gardens can be found in the following pages.
Opening times
16
How to book and pay
16
First Aid and toilet facilities
17
We look forward to welcoming
your school in 2014.
Disabled visitor information
17
Permanent Exhibition in Astor Suite
18
How to get to Hever Castle
19
About your visit
More than just a castle... Award Winning Gardens • Events • Mazes • Miniature Model Houses • Open Air Theatre • Boating Lake • Shops • Adventure Playground • Portraits • Restaurants
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
School and Student Groups Information 2014
hevercastle.co.uk
ABOUT HEVER CASTLE
The oldest part of Hever Castle was built
in around 1270 and consisted of a massive
gatehouse and enclosure, surrounded by a
moat and approached by a wooden drawbridge.
The front of the Castle has remained
remarkably unaltered and today still
looks much as it must have done over
700 years ago.
In the 15th century the Bullen family
added the Tudor house inside the
protective wall, and it was this home
that Thomas Bullen, father of Anne Boleyn,
inherited in 1505. Thomas and his wife
Elizabeth had three children. Their eldest
daughter Mary, became Henry VIII’s
mistress. Anne, the ill-fated 2nd wife
of Henry VIII, who failed to produce a
male heir to the throne of England was
eventually found guilty of High Treason
for adultery and beheaded by the sword
in 1536. The Bullen’s third child, George,
was also beheaded, accused of having
had an incestuous relationship with his
sister, Anne.
Cleves as part of his divorce settlement.
Hever Castle then passed through the
hands of several families until it was bought
in 1903 by the wealthy William Waldorf
Astor who had recently emigrated from
America. The Castle was in a bad state
of repair but Astor restored the Castle
and the house, and built guest rooms and
staff accommodation behind the Castle
in the Tudor style. He also created the
Italian Gardens to show off his collection
of statuary and sculpture which he had
collected during his time as American
Ambassador in Italy. The 38-acre lake was
dug out by hand and took 800 men two
years to complete.
In 1983 the Astor family sold Hever Castle
and its estate to Broadland Properties, a
Yorkshire-based company owned by the
Guthrie family.
When Thomas Bullen died in 1538, Henry
acquired the Castle from his deceased wife’s
family and in 1540 he gave it to Anne of
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
There are some interesting and
rare items in the Castle. See if
you can find these while you are
looking round:
Henry VIII’s elaborate locks on
the Dining Hall doors
Enormous Postillions’ Boots in
the Entrance Hall
The china display cupboard in the corner
of the Morning Room used to be a priest’s
hole. It is believed a priest was trapped
and died in there during the time when
Catholics were persecuted
Elaborate locks
Anne Boleyn’s prayer books and
headpiece in the Book of Hours Room
The garderobe (medieval toilet) in the
Council Chamber at the top of the Castle
School and Student Groups Information 2014
Prayer books
Postillions’ boots
hevercastle.co.uk
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The Tower Maze is set in the existing
Adventure Playground and is particularly
suitable for children who are studying the
Tudors. Only those who solve the riddle of
the maze can reach Henry VIII’s tower; his
Queens hold the key.
The Yew Maze will be open from April
to October - weather permitting. Please
check prior to your visit. At certain times
the maze can become wet and muddy and
wellington boots are advised. Please note
that on such occasions children should visit
the Castle before they go into the maze.
Unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary to
close the maze during the season because
of ground conditions.
The Water Maze will be open from April
until October - weather permitting. It is
situated on Sixteen Acre Island. Children
should be supervised on this feature and no
running is allowed. The idea of the maze is
to reach the central grotto whilst avoiding
water barriers and without getting wet. It
should be noted that children may get wet,
and any person entering the water maze
does so at their own risk. Suitable footwear
must be worn.
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
The Nature Trail around the lake allows
children to spot the bird boxes which
are home to owls, blue tits, robins and
woodpeckers. They can also look out for
kingfishers, swans, herons and crested
grebes on the lake. The lake was hand-dug
by 800 men during 1904-06. There is a weir
and waterfall at the bottom of the lake and
three pill boxes which were built to defend
a key crossing point on the river Eden during
the 2nd World War. The path can become
wet and muddy following spells of rain so
wellington boots may be advised.
The exhibition of Miniature Model Houses
gives children a unique opportunity to
study models of houses from Tudor to
Victorian times. External design and
interior decoration, dress styles and way
of life are brought to life in perfect detail
within the one-twelfth scale models and
individual room views.
School and Student Groups Information 2014
hevercastle.co.uk
THE TUDORS
Henry VII
Henry VIII
Five Tudor monarchs ruled over England from
1485-1603, during which time the country saw
a period of great change and some prosperity.
There are portraits of all five Tudor
monarchs hanging in the Castle.
Can you find them?
Mary I
Henry VII (1457-1509):
Henry of Lancaster won the throne from
Richard III of York at the Battle of Bosworth
in 1485. Following the Wars of The Roses,
Henry united the warring Houses of York
and Lancaster by marrying Elizabeth of York
in 1486 thus bringing peace back to England
after many years of civil war. England
became prosperous under Henry VII.
Henry VIII (1491-1547):
This Henry was not destined to be King,
but when his elder brother, Arthur, died
unexpectedly in 1502, Henry took his
widow, Catherine of Aragon, as his wife
and both of them were crowned in 1509
at Westminster Abbey. Henry VIII was a
charismatic person, and is best known for
having six wives including Anne Boleyn
whose childhood home was at Hever
Castle. During his reign the Catholic
Church in England broke with Rome and
the Church of England was established. The
Monasteries were destroyed. Executions
were commonplace, including two of
Henry’s wives - Anne Boleyn and Catherine
Howard. Financially Henry’s reign was not
good for the country as a lot of money was
spent on funding military campaigns and
building many palaces.
Edward VI (1537-1553):
The son of Henry and his third wife, Jane
Seymour, Edward was crowned at the age
of nine as England’s first Protestant King. As
he was so young the country was governed
by a Regency Council appointed by Henry
before he died. During the six years Edward
was king, the country experienced economic
problems and social unrest while the
members of the Council struggled for power
amongst themselves. Edward became ill in
early 1553 with a fever and a cough which it
is believed developed into tuberculosis. He
died in July of that year.
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
Edward VI
Elizabeth I
Mary I (1516-1558):
Elizabeth I (1533-1603):
Mary was the daughter of Henry and his
first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Immediately
after her coronation in October 1553,
Mary set about restoring the Catholic faith
in England. Anyone who opposed her was
burned at the stake as a heretic and around
280 people died for their beliefs. Mary
was hated for this and her persecution of
Protestants earned her the name ‘Bloody
Mary’. Her marriage to Philip II of Spain
was unpopular, and once Philip realised she
was unable to have a child he sailed back to
Spain and did not return.
Following Mary’s death in 1558, Elizabeth,
daughter of the ill-fated Anne Boleyn,
succeeded at the age of 25. She was
immensely popular from the start and her
coronation was celebrated by the English
people who were worn out by the difficult
years since the death of her father, Henry
VIII. Elizabeth was expected to marry and
produce an heir to continue the Tudor line
but despite having many suitors, she never
did. She ruled on her own for nearly 50
years and was committed above all else to
preserving English peace and stability. She
had genuine love for her subjects and her
reign is known as the Golden Age because it
was a time of religious tolerance, economic
prosperity and growth. During Elizabeth’s
reign many sailors went in search of unknown
lands, including Christopher Columbus and
Sir Walter Raleigh. Sir Francis Drake sailed
round the world and defeated the Spanish
Arrmada. Shakespeare’s plays were being
performed at the Globe Theatre in London.
Elizabeth, the last Tudor monarch died in 1603.
School and Student Groups Information 2014
The word ‘castle’ is derived from the
Latin castellum meaning ‘fortress’. The
first castles were built in England by the
Normans to protect their lands following
the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The essential
factor in choosing a site for any 11th
century castle was the availability of a good
water supply. The early castles were made
from earth and timber and could hold off
any local uprising or predatory neighbours
almost indefinitely, provided stocks of
food did not run out and the water supply
remained within the castle boundary. Over
time stone gatehouses or ‘keeps’ were added
as an extra means of defence. During the
next 200 years castles were transformed
from earth and timber constructions into
strong fortified stone buildings, with curtain
walls, tall defence towers, drawbridges
and water-filled moats. As time moved on,
rich lords built bigger and more elaborate
castles to house extra troops to defend their
lands. By the 18th century a few castles
had become fortresses with thick curtain
walls to withstand artillery fire but many
had been turned into residential castles
which were often elaborately decorated and
sumptuously furnished.
In early medieval times the peasants
built their homes out of sticks and straw
held together with mud and animal hair.
Following the Black Death in 1348 which
hevercastle.co.uk
CASTLES
AND HOUSES
RICH
AND POOR
killed many of the farm worker population
the landowners were willing to pay higher
wages for labourers to harvest their crops.
As a result the average worker could afford
to construct better homes using wooden
supports with wattle and daub to fill in the
spaces. Roofs were thatched with a hole in
the middle to allow any smoke from the
fire inside to escape. The floors were made
of hard earth. The whole family and their
livestock lived and slept under one roof. By
the late 13th century the better off workers
lived in stone houses with two rooms, and
housed their animals in a separate barn
next to the main building. From 1485 the
distinctive black and white Tudor houses
started to appear as wealthy noblemen
or prosperous merchants and craftsmen
wanted more substantial and comfortable
homes for their families and servants. These
wooden framed houses had half-timbered
walls which were filled in with wattle and
daub. Many had ornate chimneys, tiled
or thatched roofs and leaded glass in the
windows. Glass was expensive in Tudor
times and when people moved house they
often took their glass windows with them.
The contrast between rich and poor in
Tudor times was marked. Rich people lived
in timber-frames houses with thatched
roofs. If they were particularly well off they
would have glass in their windows instead
of shutters or grills which were open to the
elements. It was important for rich people
to show off their wealth to establish their
standing in society and this was done with
the lavish furnishings they had in their
homes, the richness of their dress, the food
they ate and the way they entertained any
visitors. The rich Tudors could afford to eat
meat and fish and to drink wine, and it was
not uncommon for a meal to last 3-4 hours
with a wide variety of meat and poultry
dishes on offer. Wild deer and boar were
eaten as well as calves, pigs, swans, peacocks,
pigeons, sparrows and blackbirds. Bread was
always served with meals. For dessert the
rich would eat sweet pastries and custards.
Fresh vegetables were not commonly served
as they were regarded as food only fit for the
poor and livestock to eat.
Don’t forget to visit the Council
Chamber at the top of the Castle
where you will see a display of
masks/branks and beheading swords
similar to those used in Tudor times.
From the Castle courtyard can you
count the number of leaded glass
windows in Thomas Bullen’s house?
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
In Tudor times at least a third of the
population was poor and life for those at the
bottom was hard. It was often just a daily
struggle to survive. Poor town dwellers lived
in overcrowded filthy hovels on narrow dark
streets where crime was high and death
commonplace. Their diet consisted of bread
made in rat-infested mills and pies filled with
meat which was highly spiced to disguise
its rancid taste. The poor who lived in the
country fared a little better as they could
grow grain and vegetables to eat as well as
catching rabbits, birds or fish for food. If
they were lucky they could raise livestock
for meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Water was
so dirty the poor would drink beer. They
built simple homes from straw, mud or dung
with a hole in the wall for a window. The
whole family lived and slept together in one
room often with their livestock. Stealing was
common in both the towns and countryside
and those who were caught faced torture,
public flogging or execution.
School and Student Groups Information 2014
hevercastle.co.uk
KNIGHTS
AND DRAGONS
HENRY’S WIVES.
WHO SURVIVED?
Henry VIII
Knights usually belonged to the noble
classes, and they would undertake years of
training in combat and warfare in order to
guard and defend castles against sieges and
invading armies. The Middle Ages were a
violent time when lords would fight each
other for land and power, so it was critical
their castles could be defended effectively
by skilled and experienced soldiers such as
the knights.
Dragons have featured in the stories and
legends of many cultures for thousands of
years. These fire-breathing, winged creatures
are said to be able to live anywhere, on land
or sea, and often appear in fairy stories or
myths as guardians of treasure or keepers of
imprisoned damsels in distress.
The story of St George and the Dragon is
said to have been brought back to England
from the Crusades. This legend tells of the
fictional city of Silene in Libya which had a
lake inhabited by an evil dragon. To keep the
dragon happy the population fed it a sheep
or person every day. One day the lot fell on
the king’s daughter who was sent out to the
lake to be fed to the dragon. A high-ranking
officer called George, who was reputed to
be a Roman soldier, happened to ride past
the lake where he wounded the dragon
with his lance and rescued the princess. The
dragon was led back to the city where it was
killed by the people. George was martyred
for his Christian beliefs around AD303, and
was made the patron saint of England by
Edward Confessor in 1350.
ED
RC
O
DIV
Catherine of Aragon
Anne Boleyn
ED
RC
O
DIV
Anne of Cleves
ED
AD
E
BEH
D
DIE
Jane Seymour
ED
EAD
BEH
Catherine Howard
?
Catherine Parr
Visit the Tower Maze and solve
the riddle of Henry’s Queens.
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
School and Student Groups Information 2014
hevercastle.co.uk
CHOOSE YOUR VISIT
A visit to Hever Castle offers an informative
educational experience for UK and overseas
groups and provides a stimulating opportunity
for learning outside the classroom.
Teachers can choose to book a private
guided tour of the Castle, a general visit
or a general visit to include a pre-booked
audio for children.
These prices are per person and are based
on groups of 20 or more paying people.
Entry to the Gardens is included, but a
return visit to the Castle is not permitted.
Private Castle tours
In the event of the tour being cancelled on the day or
late arrival preventing the tour from taking place, a
charge for the guides booked will be made.
Taking a private guided tour of the Castle
gives children the opportunity to be
inspired by history as they listen and
interact with their guides.
Guided tours need to be pre-booked and
commence between 10.00am and 10.30am.
A tour lasts approximately 1 hour and
can be given in English, French, German,
Dutch, Spanish or Italian.
Child (5-15) £9.90
Student (16-19) £14.00
Chargeable Adult
£18.60
General visits
The Gardens open at 10.30am for
self-guided visits and groups will be
admitted into the grounds in the order in
which their coach arrives. Groups should
not expect to gain entry to the Castle
before 12.00 noon but this can vary from
day to day so please check on booking.
Students and school children should be
in groups led by a supervisory adult at
all times. Dependent on the age of their
pupils, these adults will be admitted free of
charge on a 1:6 or 1:10 basis on the day and
will be responsible for taking their groups
around the Castle and Gardens.
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
Extra free adult places can be arranged
for special needs children by prior
arrangement only.
Child (5-15)* £6.90
Student (16-19)*
£9.90
Chargeable Adult*
£12.25
Audio tours
Children’s audio guides bringing 700 years
of Hever Castle to life can be pre-booked as
part of a general visit.
Child (5-15)* £10.15
Student (16-19)* £13.15
Chargeable Adult*
£15.50
*These prices are per person and are based
on groups of 15 or more paying people.
School and Student Groups Information 2014
Tudor Time Travellers for Key Stage 1 & 2
Become a Tudor Time Traveller and be
transported back to the 16th century:
Costumed Interpreters, Dressing Up,
Activity Booklet, Workshop, Hot Soup
and Bread.
October (Monday - Friday)
March and November (Wednesday - Friday)
Child (5-15)*
£12.30
Chargeable Adult*
£12.25
Once a visit has been booked, teachers are
encouraged to make a preliminary visit
to Hever Castle and Gardens. Please ring
+44 (0)1732 861701 to arrange a date
so that a maximum of 2 complimentary
tickets can be made available. (These
tickets cannot be used on the day of the
group visit.)
HOW TO
BOOK
Gardens open 10.30am
Castle opens 12 noon
EARLY SPRING SEASON
School/Student groups must book their
visits in advance and please contact the
Group Visits Coordinator to talk through
the best type of visit to suit your class
learning objectives.
15th - 23rd February: Daily
Telephone
26th February - 30th March: Wed - Sun
Last admission 4pm
Final exit 5pm
+44 (0)1732 861701
MAIN SEASON
[email protected]
31st March - 24th October: Daily
Last admission 4.30pm
Final exit 6pm
Fax
25th October - 2nd November: Daily
Last admission 4pm
Final exit 5pm
Post
15th February - 24th December 2014
WINTER SEASON
5th November - 28th November: Wed - Sun
Last admission 3pm
Final exit 4pm
29th November - 1st January:
See website for opening times
Information accurate at the time of
printing. Hever Castle reserves the right to
close all or part of the castle and grounds
and to change or cancel events. In the
event of adverse weather please check
before travelling hevercastle.co.uk
or telephone information line
+44 (0)1732 865224 for updates.
Email
+44 (0)1732 866796
Hever Castle
Near Edenbridge
Kent TN8 7NG
Office hours
Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.30pm
TIMING
YOUR VISIT
The following are suggested times for a visit:
Castle 1 hr
Gardens & Grounds 1½ hrs
Miniature Model Houses Exhibition ½ hr
Shopping & Eating 1 hr
Rowing and/or a walk around the lake 1-2 hrs
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
School groups who have booked a private
guided tour will be met in the coach park
by a member of staff who will escort them
to the Castle.
For other visits school groups will be
admitted in the order their coach arrives.
The teacher in charge will be directed to
the ticket office to confirm numbers and
collect the tickets for the group. Payment
can be made in one amount on arrival or
invoicing can be arranged on receipt of a
formal request on school letterhead prior
to the date of the visit.
We accept all major credit cards
(not Amex or Diners)
Cheques (payable to Hever Castle Limited)
Cash (euros not accepted)
Each visitor will be issued with an individual
ticket at the appropriate rate on the day of
the visit.
First Aid and Toilets
First Aid supplies can be found at the
Information Centre, the Castle and both
restaurants.
Toilets are located near the Main Gate and
inside both restaurants. The Lavender Loos
can be found next to the Guthrie Pavilion.
There are no toilets in the Coach Park or
Hever Village.
School and Student Groups Information 2014
DISABILITY
ACCESS
We welcome visitors with disabilities and
offer discounted rates for groups who
have a special need. Minibuses and small
coaches can be offered accessible parking
by prior arrangement. We have a limited
number of manual wheelchairs for loan
on a refundable deposit basis, subject
to availability. These can be reserved in
advance so please enquire when booking.
The Castle is an ancient building with
narrow spiral stone stairs making
wheelchair access limited to the ground
floor. The steps into the Castle forecourt
are not possible to ramp and electric
wheelchairs are not permitted in the
Castle. Light levels are low in some
areas to protect the collection. The main
pathways in the Gardens are paved or
tarmac with main steps ramped. The
exhibition of Miniature Model Houses, the
restaurants and shops as well as the Water
Maze and Tower Maze, are accessible
to wheelchair users. Disabled toilets
are located near the Main Entrance, the
Guthrie Pavilion Restaurant and inside the
Moat Restaurant.
hevercastle.co.uk
OPENING
TIMES
HOW TO PAY
AND COLLECT
YOUR TICKETS
HOW TO GET
TO HEVER CASTLE
Last year marked the 110th anniversary of
the American multi-millionaire, William
Waldorf Astor, buying romantic Hever
Castle and fifty years since his grandson
Gavin, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever, opened
its doors to the public.
Road TN8 7NG
Hever Castle is located 30 miles from
central London, three miles SE of
Edenbridge between Sevenoaks and East
Grinstead. It can be reached via junction
10 of the M23, and is signposted from
junctions 5 and 6 of the M25 and the
Hildenborough (B245) exit from the A21.
Letters, photographs and documents tell
of Astor’s restoration of the Castle and his
creation of the magnificent gardens. Young
visitors can interact with everyday objects
such as old-fashioned telephones and radios
to listen to interviews with former ‘below
stairs’ staff, and watch the Astor family’s
rare archive collection of home movies.
William Waldorf Astor
A1(M)
M1
M40
M11
M25
Southend-on-Sea
Sheerness
Rochester
Margate
0
A2
M26
A2
A25
A2
Sevenoaks
A264
49
M20
1
A2
M25
Edenbridge
Crawley
2
A1
3
A2
Gatwick Airport
Sea
Dover 90 minutes
Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel Folkestone
Terminal 90 minutes
A1
M4
M23
Air
Heathrow 60 minutes
Gatwick 30 minutes
A127
LONDON
Heathrow Airport
M3
Ramsgate
M2
Maidstone
2
25
A
M
Tonbridge
1
A2
2
A2
East Tunbridge
Grinstead Wells
A23
A24
Call: +44 (0)1732 861701 Fax: +44 (0)1732 866796 Email: [email protected]
Rail
London/Victoria/London Bridge to
Edenbridge Town
(3 miles - taxis available) or
Hever Station
(1 mile rural walk - no taxis)
Call 08457 484950
or visit nationalrail.co.uk
Eurotunnel Ebbsfleet Terminal 45 minutes
Coach drivers and tour guides/organisers
are advised to check the route to Hever
Castle as there are a number of low
bridges in the surrounding area.
If you are travelling in a double-decker
coach please ring us for alternative
directions. Parking in the large coach park
opposite the Main Entrance is free. Coach
drivers and tour leaders (maximum of one
each per coach) will be offered a free entry
voucher and one refreshment voucher for
exchange at either self-service restaurants.
6
The permanent exhibition was opened by
Lady Astor of Hever and looks at the legacy
of the Astor years. Located in the Castle’s
Astor Suite, the interactive exhibits bring
the fascinating “Upstairs, Downstairs” years
at Hever Castle vividly to life.
hevercastle.co.uk
UPSTAIRS DOWNS STAIRS
EXHIBITION
20
Canterbury
A2
Ashford
Dover
Hever Castle Folkestone
A259
School and
Student Groups Information 2014
Hastings
A27