By Lyn Funnell
Getting off the coach, we walked through the entrance arch to Hever, and after walking a few yards, we could see the magnificent Hever Castle, surrounded by its landscaped grounds, including a path with topiary bushes on each side.
We strolled around the grounds, including getting lost in the yew maze, before we went in the castle. And we easily walked for 3 1/2 miles while admiring the scenery.
The snowdrops were popping up everywhere.
Hever Castle was built in 1383.
Sir Geffrey Boleyn, the Lord Mayor of London, bought it in 1462.
Ann’s sister Mary, became Henry Vlll’s mistress, but by 1526 Henry had fallen madly in love with Ann, who kept him at arm’s length until he promised to divorce Katherine of Aragon and make her his queen. But he often went to Hever to visit her. And one of the bedrooms is known as The King’s Bedroom.
More of that later.
Henry Vlll bought Hever from James Boleyn for £200 on the 31st December, 1540. He then gave it as a gift to his 4th wife, Ann of Cleves, who he’d married and quickly divorced after his 3rd wife, Jane Seymour, died after giving birth to his son. She lived there for 17 years and made lots of structural improvements,
Strangely, after divorcing Ann of Cleves, Henry realised that he’d made a terrible mistake. She became one of his best and most trusted friends and he called her his Beloved Sister.
In 1903 the American multi-millionaire William Waldorf Astor bought Hever. He and his descendants sunk many millions into restoring Hever back to its Tudor state, with modern additions.
In 1958 there was a terrible flood, and another one in 1968. All the archives stored in the basement were destroyed.
The Waldorf Astors opened the grounds to the public, and rented the castle out for filming, to try and recover some of their draining funds.
In 1983 Broadland Properties Ltd bought the castle and a lot of its contents.
Today they are committed to the preservation and promotion of Hever and its history.
We went into the castle and looked round its many rooms. A free audio is provided.
Stepping into the Best Bedchamber, my friend and I shivered and said, ‘It’s a bit cold in here, and there’s an atmosphere.’
Then another woman came in and said, ‘Ooh, it’s cold in here!’
When we went outside, I handed my audio set to Toby the guide, and said, ‘Is the Best Bedchamber haunted? There was a distinctive atmosphere in there.’
I went through the quick mental examination where he decided if I was genuine or a joker.
Then he said, ‘No, but the King’s Bedchamber is.’ And he pointed above him at the window.
They have to lock every room at night, and as soon as the King’s room is locked, there’s a loud knocking in the room.
This happens in most of the rooms, but in the King’s room it’s loud and clear and regular.
Also, some people get poked in the side on the staircase.
One poor lad had only worked there a few weeks when it happened to him and nobody had warned him. He was terrified!
A lady staff member came to join us as she’d overheard our conversation.
‘I say goodnight to them all every time I lock up,’ she said. She’d heard the knocking noises many times.
Toby said, ‘It never happens in the daytime when people are here. I’ve been here three years now, and I’m still scared when I’m on my own.’
They have no idea what causes the noises or the poking, or if there are more than one ghost.
But in a castle that’s nearly 800 years old, it would be even stranger if it wasn’t haunted!
Read more on Hever Castle and Grounds by another of our writers.
