Hever Castle, which dates back to the 13th century, was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife and mother of Elizabeth I. It provided an unexpected setting for a series of turbulent events that altered the direction of British history, monarchy, and religion.

At Hever Castle, discover beautiful award-winning gardens situated on 125 acres of gorgeous grounds. In the Italian Garden, marvel at the Pompeiian Wall and classical sculpture; in the English Rose Garden, enjoy the enormous topiary chess set and smell the scent of over 4,000 rose bushes.

The 38-acre lake, the invention of William Waldorf Astor, was dug and built by 800 workers who were hired in December 1904 to “carry on the works regularly and constantly by day and night and finish it in two years! In July 1906, the lake was filled.