Page 71 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - England's South Coast

KENT AND SUSSEX  69

who extended the house. His Neo-Tudor village alongside with parts of it dating back
descendants have lived here for guests and servants. Inside to the 1320s. Its stone-and-
ever since, including the writer the house, visitors can see timber building contains over
Vita Sackville-West (1892–1962). Anne Boleyn’s bedroom and 70 rooms and encloses a grand
The mansion's design echoes many other apartments, while courtyard (complete with a
the calendar, with 365 rooms, the lovely gardens are filled Grade 1 listed 19th-century dog
52 staircases, 12 entrances and with sculptures, grottoes and kennel). Rooms are decorated
seven courtyards. The house imaginative topiary. Hever also in a range of styles dating from
is full of treasures, including hosts jousting and other events. across the centuries, including
paintings by Anthony van Dyck, a 15th-century chapel with an
a magnificent 17th-century ornate 16th-century painted
staircase and antique furniture. oak ceiling, and a drawing room
A lovely 405-ha (1,000-acre) adorned with hand-painted
medieval deer park, with a 18th-century Chinese wallpaper.
large herd of sika and fallow The house is surrounded by a
deer, encircles the house. placid moat, crossed by three
Knole is currently undergoing bridges, and is set in beautifully
renovation and some show- manicured gardens.
rooms are closed to the public. For 300 years, the manor
was home to the Selby
family, who were involved
4 Hever Castle in the Gunpowder Plot to
blow up Parliament in 1605
Edenbridge, Kent. Map D1.
Tel 01732 865224. 3 Edenbridge, (see p36). It is said that the
then taxi. Open Castle: Apr–Oct & ghost of Dorothy Selby, who
Dec: noon–6pm daily; Nov–Mar: One of the three outdoor mazes in the accidentally gave away the
noon–4:30pm Wed–Sun. Gardens: lush gardens of Hever Castle plotters to the authorities,
Apr–Oct & Dec: 10:30am–6pm still lives in Ightham’s tower.
daily; Nov–Mar: 10:30am–4:30pm
Wed–Sun. Last adm: 90 mins before 5 Ightham Mote Environs
closing. & 8 7 limited. 0 Another extraordinary historic
- = ∑ hevercastle.co.uk Ivy Hatch, near Sevenoaks, Kent. Map relic, in the countryside not far
D1. Tel 01732 810378. 3 Sevenoaks,
then taxi. Open House: Mar–Oct: east of Ightham, is Old Soar
This moated castle, the oldest 11am–5pm daily; Nov: 11am–3pm Sat Manor. It was once part of a
parts of which date back to & Sun; Dec: 11am–3pm daily. Gardens: larger estate, built around 1290,
1270, is famous as the child- Mar–Oct: 10am–5pm daily; Nov–Dec: that was home to a medieval
hood home of Anne Boleyn, 10am–3:30pm daily. Last adm: 30 mins knight. Although parts of the
the doomed second wife of before closing. Closed Jan, Feb, 24 & stone manor have been lost
Henry VIII, who was executed 25 Dec. & 7 limited. - = ø over the centuries, Old Soar still
for adultery. Hever was her ∑ nationaltrust.org.uk retains several evocative rooms,
family’s castle, and the king a chapel and latrines.
often visited her here. A little-known gem, nestled
In 1903, Hever was bought in a lush green valley, Ightham P Old Soar Manor
by millionaire William Waldorf (pronounced “item”) is the Plaxtol, Kent. Tel 01732 810378.
Astor, who restored it as most complete medieval Open Apr–Sep: 10am–6pm Sat–
a country mansion, manor house in England, Thu. Closed Oct–Mar. ø
building a ∑ nationaltrust.org.uk

The west front of Ightham Mote, a moated medieval manor house

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