New information has been unveiled about the history of Hever Castle in Kent, a property once owned by the Boleyn family and Anne of Cleves.
Recently, architectural historian and former chief executive of English Heritage, Simon Thurley, researched how the castle was actually built in 1383 for John de Cobham. Initially, it was believed the castle was built nearly 100 years prior, in 1270 for William de Hever.
Given to Anne of Cleves as part of her divorce from Henry VIII, it’s been revealed Cleves made several renovations to the castle, including adding a staircase gallery, connecting two wings of the house, and remodelling the ceiling in the dining hall. This leads researchers to believe Anne spent more time at the castle than what was originally thought.
Thurley’s research also looks at how well-preserved the castle is. With the gatehouse and battlements original to the 14th century, Thurley goes as far as to suggest the gatehouse is unique in its sequence of defensive features. Additionally, Thurley believes there is probably no other sequence of medieval defensive timberwork that survived similarly to the castle anywhere in Europe.
Because of the new findings, visitors will start to see configuration and display changes. This will begin with the ground floor in 2023, with work on the upper floors in the following years. Changes will begin behind closed doors in January. The castle will open for the 2023 season on Wednesday, 8 February, with all ground floor changes expected to be in place by Sunday, 26 March.
In addition to physical changes to the castle, the branding of Hever Castle will now also change. In an updated logo, people will find the four most significant historical owners of the castle represented. This includes de Cobham, Boleyn, Cleves, and Astor. This logo will be reflected in flags throughout the castle grounds.
The guidebook and audio guides will also be fully updated once modifications are in place. A publication detailing more about the research findings is in the works.
