Jousting at Hever Castle

 

I have always wanted to go to this event, to the point that I had actually booked to go on a solo trip. I then started dating Jay, he heard about this epic experience and decided he wanted to come too. Thus our medieval adventure was born!

Now Jamie had immediately volunteered to be my own personal tour guide as he had been to Hever before and I hadn't. This was a perk in itself as who doesn't love a little romantic tour tailored exclusively to your loved one?

We'd taken the trip with a local coach company who specialise in day trips and short breaks. Crosskeys have been a well known part of my life for about 15 years now as not only have I been on several trips with them, but they also used to provide my school busses... they are certainly a company I trust to take care of me and provide a class day out!

So the drive up took about an hour and a half and our lovely driver Paul did have to take a few detours but he navigated them perfectly (inclusive of the low bridge which was the same size as our coach) and he was lovely and funny with it making for a very comfortable drive both ways. We arrived at Hever Castle a little after 11 and was given free reign, with permission granted we scurried off to start our adventure!

The very first thing we did was explore the castle. Now I wouldn't actually class this as a castle at all. Much like Walmer Castle, Hever is merely a stately home which housed a future queen. This queen happened to be Anne Boleyn and it is mentioned that her spirit is often seen wandering the grounds or sitting under an oak tree. These sightings happen more around Christmas time as this was her favourite time of year. Regardless, this seems to be a happy fragment of her spirit, as it is also said that a headless version of her roams the Tower of London following her tragic fate. 

Hever Castle was where the young future queen spent a large chunk of her childhood, and later it was where both she and the infamous king spent time courting. The Castle has recently renovated Anne's bedroom to mirror what it would have been like back in the time she stayed there, complete with some of the letters from Henry during their courtship. I did read one of these letters where he wished he could take half of her illness from her so that he could alleviate her suffering. It was strange seeing such a tender side to King Henry VIII considering the brutality he was capable of. 

I didn't know, but soon found out as we wandered the stunning walls of this home, that the property fell into the possession of Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. This was following a settlement made to annul their marriage. I find this fact vaguely disrespectful as he took this property from one wife, killed her, and then passed it to another just to be rid of her. Equally I resented the fact that he got to keep the property altogether, so I'm also a little glad yet another woman shunned by the king got to take and keep Ms Boleyn's home. 

Brief history lesson over, we crossed the drawbridge and entered the Castle/stately home in order to explore. Now I can see the castle elements within the structure. It has a little moat, (A REAL MOAT) not as spectacular as Bodiam's moat, but cute and authentic all the same. It also has the typical stone structure we see with medieval structures, especially those that take inspo from the gothic era, along with the slatted windows key for defence and stained glass ones for religion and beauty. It also has a little courtyard which we crossed into in order to enter the main door for the building. 

Straight away we crossed the threshold and into what was effectively a sitting room. I get the impression this was for guests who were waiting to be entertained, but I could be wrong, it would be what I would have used the room for anyway. This room was likely less bare back in the day, but it was well furnished with antique furniture and artwork throughout the ages. It also led to yet another room which was more obvious as a sitting room and was adorned with placements and furniture typical of the 1920s as this was the era of the Astor family. They would have entertained here and perhaps put their feet up to read a book and chat or play cards. I get severe family room vibes from this particular room, but both Jamie and I realised immediately that this room stank of pee and as such did not stick around. It was also very pink which although very much of that time, did not suit the aesthetic of such a grand building and was rather odd.

Jamie then led me to the dining room and as the dutiful tour guide informed me that the tables adorned with placements before me were actually for the king's guests, the main royals did not sit among the long tables before us, hence the lack of thrones or end seats for the head of the table. Instead, directly up and behind us, I was informed that the King and Queen would have eaten on this balcony, above their audience in a show of status. How true this is we do not know, but he remembered this from his first visit years ago so I will run with it. It makes sense based on the evidence presented there and then, but without having access to the balcony, and with such a small divide to overlook the rest of the room, I struggle to picture how this would have been practical unless the point was for privacy. This is purely as from below you cannot see much of the above and assumably the same from above goes for the below. 

I did notice that the tableware did not match what would have been typically medieval. This just didn't strike me as Tudor. It seems likely that here we have a mix of two different prominent eras which the building has housed. While the room screams Tudor with its dark wooden beams and wall mounts, not the mention the tapestry, the table settings subtly indicate the 20s, perhaps a dinner party from the Astor era? It was nice to see a potential melding of eras despite the fact they deeply clashed. What did catch my eye was the row of bottles houses in the drinks cabinet at the back. Unlikely to be of the Tudor era, this was a interesting spot and possibly from a different time period.

I was taken from the dining room to the Library where I was forcibly removed as I would have stayed there forever otherwise. While the seating was not to my tastes, again very 20s with the pink settee, the antique books lining the shelves was absolutely a bit of me and made for quite the cosy room. I'd very much like to settle down here after a lunch or dinner with the radio on, the fire roaring, and a nice book in my hands.

We soon found ourselves climbing some stairs and passing through landings that housed prayer books and other historic artefacts before we reached the bedrooms. All of these housed small beds which supported the fact that in these times beds were made for one and not more until marriage (and even then its a little shifty), and the decor was quite plain actually. Anne's room was quite small considering her status. It had a lovely fireplace with a bed quite close to it, some dried lavender in a bowel and a desk for writings. It was not at all fitting for a young woman, let alone one who was courting a king. It just strikes me as odd that this was her bedroom. As a child I suppose it makes sense, but there was nothing in this room indicating her status, no grand decorations, it seemed muted and drab. Her desk held some of her jewelry, and I suppose the walls showed the religious art of the time, but it seemed a little...boring. 

In comparison you have Henry's quarters. These are grand, dark, and aesthetically pleasing. The bed is sturdy and matches the walls, the room is large, the decor wealthy. This is a room befitting of a king, this is a grand old room. There is art in here, a faded old rug but one that screams wealth back in its hayday, it just seems richer, bolder, more class appropriate. Both of the other bedrooms we saw seemed small and muted in comparison. The first one with it's bed of green seems so out of place for these times, all these bright colours just dont seem to gel with the period in my head, I don't know why. Then Anne's with its quiet colours and mismatched vibes. Not at all like Henry who matched and had a very visually pleasing, very masculine room.

Moving swiftly on I was led to Jamie's favourite room, the long room full of portraits. This room houses several portraits of inhabitants important to the Castle's history. Most notably for myself, Anne Boleyn. It was a nice serene room, beautiful ceiling, I can see why it was Jamie's favourite. 

Next up we took a peek at the Astor family rooms located in the uppermost landing which was almost attic space. These rooms were very small and it was due to the flood which encased the lower building that they moved so high up in the house. Moats aren't all that after all...

Following these tiny bedrooms were the armoury which housed swords, torture equipment, and a model of a cannon. Now we should mention that suits of armours are dotted around the castle as are swords and the like, but in this room you see armour which was worn and has the wear and tear to prove it. 

Other notable sections are the little prayer room, the toilet of which I only saw one (as in medieval toilet, not the ones we are used to), a glass case full of dog statues, a room full of artwork based on the castle itself, and the stunning windows in almost every room. The windows have to be my personal favourite part of this building. Each one shows the most stunning view which I think was quite strategic, and are housed with gothic panes or stained glass and they are just visually stunning even without the view behind. Some are unclear glass causing a blur to give privacy, some are clear. The variation is mind blowing and I really shouldn't be this in awe of windows...

Next up on our romantic tour, Jamie led me to an excluded part of the gardens quite close to the castle. This was opposite the maze entrance and housed the prettiest water feature as well as plenty of flowers. While he wanted badly to take me through all of the gardens, we were on a time limit and decided to head to the event field to get our seats in the stands ready for the jousting.

Seated with the best view of the fun, just off by the royal box, we witnessed all the action. We were team red, and luckily managed to reign victorious against the blues. We saw jousting in all its glory, sword fights, and a fun hoop collection game. We were surprised at exactly how risky the jousting actually was as several times the joust was broken or had splintered. If you've ever seen A Knights Tale it was a slightly more tame version of the events in that movie which was right up my street!

Jamie and I cheered loudly and hats off to all of the performers as they got right into it as Knights and the like. This of course was hosted by King Henry VIII himself and Anne Boleyn but she did not utter a word and got to sit there pretty. What a job.

After the jousting we went and got some chips. Taking a slow walk to the restaurant we then perused the gift shops, ate our chips and headed to the Sharpshooter museum which we walked straight through as the heat had made the rubber flooring smell something awful and we just couldn't cope. It was then a short walk back to the coach for the return journey home, a brisk walk back to the house and a change of clothes and pouring of booze ready for the football.

Football didn't turn out as we hoped, I also fell asleep after our long day, but it was worth it and I look forward to when Jay takes me back to Hever to finish our tour as in the grand scheme of things I barely saw anything at all!

All in all it was an adorable adventure and so far one of my favourite dates. The venue was relaxed, visually stunning, historic, and the perfect place to roam with a loved one just holding hands. It is also family friendly, but the air of romance with all the flowers and the history is not to be ignored. This is a place you bring a picnic and your partner and hope it turns out better than the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

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