Hever Castle with drawbridge over moat
Getting there:
It is probably best to visit Hever Castle by car but seeing as we don't own one, we took the train. We took the train to Hever station and from there it is about a mile walk to the castle via two methods: along a footpath or along the road. Since the weather was nice we chose to walk along the Eden Valley Walk which is a somewhat well marked path through woods and fields. While we loved the walk, it would not be a good option for un-able bodied people or people with strollers (there are a few fences that have to be climbed over). Also, if it had rained recently or was raining the walk would be a muddy, miserable mess. The other option, to walk along the country roads, isn't the most relaxing as the roads are narrow and when traffic comes along you aren't always certain you won't get hit.
Fence to climb over, Eden Valley Walk
Eden Valley WalkThe best part of Hever Castle is its size. Both the castle and the gardens are very manageable, allowing visitors to see everything without being completely exhausted at the end! The castle is the size of a largish house and walking through it could be done in about an hour's time. Unfortunately, there is no photography allowed inside but the the ₤5 guide book is actually very good. We used the guide book in place of an audio guide and felt like we learned quite a bit. There is a lot of history at Hever Castle and it shows throughout the different rooms - some rooms being very dark and heavy with a very castle feel to them and then some with a more current style (1950's).
Along the Italian Garden, Hever CastleThe gardens are really beautiful, especially the Italian Gardens with all the Mediterranean vegetables. There are two mazes in the park, one made up of Yew bushes and the other a water maze. Both mazes were extremely popular with kids, yelling and running through them. We chose only to do the dry maze as there were far too many cautionary signs for the water one and we saw too many wet people walking back from it! There is a large lake in the gardens (with rental row boats) that we contemplated walking all the way around until Annie saw the fenced off section with signs warning of fast moving water and mud! We still enjoyed the parts of the garden nearer to the Castle, admiring the landscaping and the variety of flowers. Picnicking in the gardens seemed like a very popular activity amongst families but made us wonder why you would pay to picnic there (about ₤25 for a family of four) when there are plenty of free beautiful parks/open spaces to use.
Two Sisters' PondOverall, Hever Castle was a great day trip. It is probably best enjoyed on a dry day, especially if you are arriving via train.
2 comments:
Thank you so much for this review of Hever ! I wanted to visit the castle next April when I am in London, and didn't know what was the best way to get there (will definitely take a car now - since the walk isn't as easy as I would have otherwsie guessed with climbing over fences !) and allow an hour plus to see the castle and walk the garden mazes !
Although it is not the most accessible walk, it is beautiful. If driving was an option, that would be the way to go.
A much easier place to visit is Hampton Court Palace, in Surrey. We visited recently and are working on getting that blog entry up, so check back if you have thoughts of visiting it!
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