Celebrities are well known for knocking years off their age as they get older, but now a medieval castle in Kent has done it too. New research shows that Hever Castle, once thought to have been built over 750 years ago, is actually only 640 years old.
At a press view on 12 January, architectural historian Simon Thurley, who was commissioned to carry out the research, revealed that rather than being built in 1270 for William de Hever, the castle was actually constructed for John de Cobham in 1383. De Cobham was also granted a licence to crenellate Hever for defensive purposes during a time of social unrest.
Greater understanding
Amongst many other things, Thurley’s work has brought a greater understanding of what Hever looked like and how it was used when it was the Boleyn family home. The new information also shows that Anne of Cleves, who was given the lease to the castle as part of her divorce from Henry VIII, spent far more time at Hever than was previously thought, adding the Long Gallery, the Staircase Gallery and remodelling the ceiling in the Great Hall.
The research was able to highlight the remarkable preservation of the castle, with the gatehouse, battlements and portcullis mechanism dating back to the 14th Century. Thurley suggests that there is ‘probably no other sequence of medieval defensive timberwork like this anywhere in Europe.’
As part of the press view, curator Alison Palmer presented a newly acquired deed, dated 1558, which details the sale of the Hever Castle estate from Queen Mary I and King Philip to the Waldegrave family, who let the castle throughout their ownership.
Exciting changes
The Hever team has exciting plans in place for the castle. Changes will be made to its configuration and displays to reflect the research findings, starting this year with the ground floor, and moving up through the building over the following years.
Simon Thurley stated:
“We all thought we knew the story of Hever, but it turns out that we don’t. It was home not to just one queen but two, and where they lived is still there to see – an amazing survival.”
More details can be found on Hever’s website.
Read more history articles from the Tandridge Independent.
