Hever Castle

Hever Castle is a late 13th to early 14th century keep, featuring links to square towers on the east and west, all adorned with battlements. It received a license to crenellate in 1340. A new wooden footbridge spans the moat, leading to a portcullis in the slightly projecting centerpiece from the late 14th century, which includes machicolation above. The back wings, constructed around 1500, are also made of stone and have steep tiled roofs with mullioned and transomed windows. Windows were inserted into the old keep during a similar period. Inside the courtyard, there is restored exposed framing, while the interior has been significantly restored in the early 19th century. Hever Castle was the home of Anne Boleyn and changed ownership several times before being purchased by Mr. W W Astor in 1903. At that time, F L Pearson added "The Village," a picturesque group of guest cottages. These cottages are two stories, or one story with an attic, featuring irregular buildings. Some roofs are tiled, while others are made of Horsham stone, and many have gables, with some first floors jettied. The upper floors are mostly half-timbered with plastered filling, while the ground floors are primarily made of roughly coursed stone with some brickwork. Some timbers are carved. A small loggia, located around the angle of the building nearest to the castle, leads to a covered bridge over the moat.