First time visiting Hever Castle? This guide, updated in September 2026, covers opening hours, ticket prices, parking, accessibility, and how to get there.
A brief history of Hever Castle
The original Hever Castle, constructed as a medieval defensive stronghold complete with a gatehouse and walled bailey, received its licence to crenellate in 1383. It entered the hands of the influential Boleyn family in 1462 – notably becoming the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, whose marriage to Henry VIII catalysed the English Reformation by ending the king’s loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church.
Following her eventual downfall, this English castle was transferred to Anne of Cleves and later passed through several hands, including the Waldegraves, Humphreys, and Meade Waldo families.
In 1903, American magnate William Waldorf Astor purchased Hever Castle, investing significantly in its restoration. He created the Tudor-style Astor Wing (formerly the Tudor Village), designed opulent interiors, and commissioned the sweeping formal gardens and lake that define its modern landscape.
Ownership later passed to the Guthrie family (owners since 1983), who have remained dedicated stewards of the estate, preserving its historical integrity while enhancing the visitor experience.
How to get to Hever Castle
By car: Use postcode TN8 7NG to reach Hever Castle. Free parking is available on-site, with ample accessible parking spaces. On arrival, you’ll be directed to the best car park.
By train: The nearest station is Hever, about a 25-minute walk from the castle. Alternatively, you can take a taxi from Edenbridge Town Station, which is approximately 3 miles away.
Hever Castle opening hours
Opening hours (typical)
- Main season (28 March to 25 October): Grounds open daily 10:30 to 18:00 (last entry 16:30). Castle open 12:00 to 17:45 (last entry 17:00).
- Shoulder season (11 February to 27 March, and 26 October to 1 November): Grounds open daily 10:30 to 16:30 (last entry 15:00). Castle open 12:00 to 16:15 (last entry 15:30).
- November (4 to 19 November): Open Wednesday to Sunday only, with the same times as the shoulder season above.
- Christmas at Hever Castle (20 November to 2 January): A separate ticketed event runs during this period, with its own hours and prices. Hever Castle then closes until it reopens in February.
- Castle entry: Timed tickets run from 12:00. Last entry is 17:00 in the main season, or 15:30 at other times of year. Entry to the castle is not possible before midday, although you can explore the grounds.
Hever Castle ticket prices
- Adult (Castle & Gardens): £25.50
- Senior (60+)/Student: £22.60
- Child (5–17 years): £14.05
- Child under 5: Free
- Family (2 adults + up to 3 children, or 1 adult + up to 4 children): £66.60
- Gardens Only (Adult): £19.95
- Gardens Only (Senior/Student): £18.05
- Gardens Only (Child): £12.50
These are online-only prices. Pay on-site, and it’ll cost you slightly more. Pre-booking is recommended, especially for castle entry.
These Hever Castle ticket prices were checked and updated in September 2026.
Tickets can also be bought on the day, subject to availability, though pre-booking online is strongly advised, especially for castle entry.
Parking at Hever Castle
Free parking is available on-site at Hever Castle, with ample accessible parking spaces. On arrival, you’ll be directed to the best car park.
Accessibility and visitor facilities
- Of the three floors of the castle, only the ground floor is wheelchair accessible.
- For detailed accessibility information, visit the Hever Castle website.
- Audio guides are available in English, French, German, Dutch, Chinese and Russian.
- A brief guide to the history of the castle in Braille is available at the entrance.
- The castle has two mazes – a yew maze and a water maze – plus three playgrounds. The Tudor Towers Adventure Playground is the best of these.
Things to do near Hever Castle
- Chartwell – The former home of Sir Winston Churchill near Westerham has historic interiors, extensive gardens and views across the Weald.
- Chiddingstone Castle – A historic castle near Edenbridge with period interiors, collections and grounds beside the village of Chiddingstone.
- Penshurst Place – A medieval and Tudor country house near Tonbridge with historic rooms, gardens and a large estate.
- Ashdown Forest – An extensive area of heathland and woodland in East Sussex, with walking routes and landscapes associated with Winnie-the-Pooh including the Pooh Sticks Bridge and Heffalump Trap.
- Knole – A historic house and extensive deer park in Sevenoaks, with state rooms, collections and landscaped grounds.
Alternative attractions
- Leeds Castle – A medieval castle surrounded by a moat and extensive grounds near Maidstone, with historic interiors, gardens and a maze.
- Bodiam Castle – A moated medieval castle in East Sussex with a largely intact exterior, towers, ruins and surrounding countryside.
- Dover Castle – A major medieval fortress overlooking the English Channel, with the Great Tower, underground tunnels and extensive defensive works.
- Battle Abbey – The site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings in East Sussex, with the remains of a medieval abbey and a visitor centre explaining the battle.
- Ightham Mote – A medieval timber-framed manor house in Kent surrounded by gardens and woodland, with historic interiors and a moat.
More Kent travel
Other Kent travel guides on Planet Whitley include
- A practical guide to visiting Canterbury Cathedral (on the list of England’s top Gothic cathedrals) and St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury
- A practical guide to visiting Chatham Historic Dockyard.
- What you need to know before visiting Walmer Castle and Gardens and Deal Castle on the Kent coast.
- Go back to Roman Britain at the Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre – arguably the most important of England’s Roman heritage sites.
- Plan your visit to the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation in Kent.
