After breakfast at Bosworth Hall Hotel, we said goodbye to the Midlands and travelled to Hever Castle in Kent. There we checked into our rooms, which are all individually designed and furnished, and then we enjoyed a wonderful lunch.
The afternoon was free for us to enjoy the castle and the gardens, and Tim and I took a group up to St Peter’s Church, the church where the Boleyn family worshipped, to see the resting place of Thomas Boleyn and Anne’s brother, Henry, who died in infancy. I always find it very moving to look at the two tombs and to walk around the church where Anne would have prayed and heard mass.
Our first evening at Hever was spent having a three course dinner in the main castle dining room, surrounded by armour, tapestries and Henry VIII’s lock, which he carried from property to property for his security, and then we enjoyed a private evening tour of the castle which was amazing because it was so atmospheric and we were allowed to take photographs because the castle was closed – yay! Seven of us were dressed up – one man and six women, so we had Henry VIII and his wives! – and this was a great opportunity to have photos in the castle in full Tudor costume. Tudor costume, Anne Boleyn’s Books of Hours, a large collection of Tudor portraits, an expert to explain things to us, ghost stories and a great, fun group, what more can you ask for?!
We all agreed that Hever is a magical place that gets under your skin as soon as you arrive. Everybody felt at home there and everyone was excited to have arrived at the place that Anne called home. I definitely feel that I’ve come home!
See the photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theanneboleynfiles/sets/72157626754995562/
