Hello!
There’s a nip in the air today as I write this. The end of August marks the last of our summer outings, and we couldn’t say goodbye to the season without stopping by to fill you in about our time at Hever Castle – the childhood home of Anne Boleyn (WIfe number two of Henry VIII, FYI - I would NOT be happy if the husband who had me beheaded had his face plastered all over the merch in the shops in my childhood home!)
We stopped at Burnham Beeches on the way to Hever castle (about 2 hours into the 3 and a half hour journey from Birmingham, south of London) A fave haunt of ours – Burnham Beeches has been used extensively over the years for filming movies and tv shows, including Harry Potter, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and The Princess Bride (which we also found out this past weekend also shot some scenes on the lake at Hever Castle!) Its vast woodland has provided the perfect backdrop for the industry over the years, thanks as well to its close proximity to Shepperton and Pinewood Studios.
After a short overnight stay, we headed off to Hever Castle. It was a glorious day, filled with castle décor inspiration, beautiful, extensive gardens, an impromptu birds of prey display and even a collection of costumes from the tv show Wolf Hall which was filmed there. 
It’s a building full of charm and even though it’s a castle (with a moat!) – it still remains a really homely building. It’s lived many lives and actually formed part of the settlement when Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves (wife number 4!) parted ways which seems odd!
Although it’s gone through various phases of development, the current Hever Castle is thanks in large part to American billionaire William Waldorf Astor, who spent a small fortune restoring it and adding amongst other things, the beautiful Italian gardens. (We even got to purchase some herbs from one of the shops for our own cold frame!)
...and finally the Knights of Hever Jousting Tournament, a yearly tournament held on the event field in the grounds!
The Pretty Odd Team x
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