Fever Hever

Once home to a doomed Tudor queen, Hever Castle is now growing in fame for its splendid gardens, packed with surprises

Hever Castle i n Kent is famous as the family home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s illfated second wife. In a strange twist, the castle later became the property of Henry’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.

Although there is plenty here to interest history buffs, including two prayer books signed by Anne Boleyn, Hever is becoming increasingly well known for its gardens, with 125 acres of beautifully planted grounds surrounding the splendid 13thcentury moated castle.

The garden in fact owes little to the Tudors and is largely the creation of William Waldorf Astor, America’s richest man, who bought the castle in 1903 and poured some of his vast fortune into restoring it. All traces of the original gardens had vanished, but Astor employed 1,000 men and spent a staggeringing £1 million (about £110 million in today’s money) to create an entirely new garden, including a vast man- made lake whichh was dug out by hand.

The flowering year att Hever begins with cro-cuses, fol lowe d by a superb display of daffoodils – there are 14,000 ofo them planted around thhe moat – and then camelliaas and tulips. In summeer 4,0 0 0 roses burst intto bloom in the Rose Garden.

Summer is also wheen

Hever’s flower meadows reach their peak. A few years ago, nine grassy areas around the lake were sown with a rainbow mix of marigolds, cornflowers, flax and poppies. The result is truly dazzling, and while the poppies and cornflowers have now faded, big swathes of pink and white cosmos go on well into autumn.

Another autumn highlight is Faith’s Garden, replanted last year with thousands of long- lasting perennials like Verbena bonariensis, crocosmia, rudbeckia, phlomis, heleniums, achilleas and grasses.

Wandering through this area, you get the feeling that you are being enveloped by plants, and through gaps in the wall there are tantalising glimpses of the adjacent Italian Garden, which is one of the most charming parts of Hever.

William Waldorf Astor loved all things Italian and this fouracre garden is decorated with Italian antiquities and statuary. The clipped yews, long lawn and walls planted with vines give a Mediterranean feel. Along the south side of the garden is the magnificent Pergola Walk, whose shady areas are planted with ferns and moisture-loving plants. The loggia (gallery with open sides) at the far end of the garden has pillared colonnades and a fountain inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

To get a feeling of what Hever might have been like when the king was wooing Anne, explore the Tudor Garden. This is a series of small, sheltered areas enclosed by neatly clipped hedges and includes a herb garden. Alongside are the Yew Maze and the Chess Garden, which has giant chess pieces cut from golden yew.

Autumn is a lovely time in the garden due to the vibrant foliage colour. The Boston ivy at the front of the castle turns a vivid red, and there are splashes of yellow, red and orange from the leaves of the liquidambars, tulip trees and maples. And throughout October, apart from half- term week, there are free tours of the garden which focus on seed colle ection: how to salvage, st tore and dry seeds to raise your own plants.

Hever may no longer be e the centre of royal intrigue, but it has be come a garden for all sea asons, with something for visitors to enjoy at anytime of year.

C Constance Craig Smith H ever Castle, Edenbridd ge, Kent, is open daily, garden-only entry £ 1414.95,95 dogs allowed. Visit hevercastle.co.uk.

Left: the all-enveloping plants of Faith’s Garden. Above: just a few of Hever’s 4,000 roses