Hever Castle & Gardens
Free RHS Member days
Monday–Friday, 12 February–14 November (bank holidays and Kent school holidays excluded)
About the garden
Situated in the beautiful Weald of Kent, Hever Castle Gardens were created by American multi-millionaire William Waldorf Astor. When he acquired Hever Castle, almost all traces of the former gardens had disappeared, with the exception of a few ancient fruit trees and a moat surrounding the old building.
Between 1904 and 1908, more than 1,000 men worked on the grand design, with an additional 800 men spending two years digging the lake. In just four years, 125 acres of classical gardens and natural landscapes were transformed from marshland and rough meadow.
Each area of the gardens has its own style and character, from the magnificent Italian Garden to the Tudor Garden and Walled Rose Garden. Visitors can also enjoy Sunday Walk and Church Gill Walk, which follow the course of a stream through peaceful woodland; Anne Boleyn’s Walk, with its impressive collection of trees; and Diana’s Walk, with its drifts of perennials.
Facilities
- Parking
- Refreshments
- Toilets
Key features
- Herbaceous border
- Pond or lake
- Autumn colour
- Mediterranean/Italian garden
- Winter garden
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.