Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge, 30 miles (48 km) south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539, it was the seat of the Boleyn (originally ‘Bullen’) family.Anne Boleyn, the second?queen consort?of?King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there after her father,?Thomas Boleyn, inherited it in 1505. The castle passed to him upon the death of his father,?Sir William Boleyn. It later came into the possession of King Henry VIII’s fourth wife,?Anne of Cleves. The castle is now open to the public as a tourist attraction.
Hever Castle is now a tourist attraction, drawing on its links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, its mazes, gardens and lake. There is an annual events programme with assorted events, including jousting tournaments and archery displays in the summer months and an annual patchwork and quilting exhibition in September. The castle has also become the venue for a?triathlon.