Hever Castle & Christmas Lunch 2026

 

Christmas at Hever Castle

 

 

Thursday 3rd December

 

£70pp

Includes Castle, garden entry, lights trail and a 2 course lunch.

 

 

 Fast Track

Leighton Buzzard West Street

Tring, Brook Street

Hemel Hempstead, Gadebridge Park

 

 

 

Dating back to the 14th century, Hever Castle was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I.

 It formed the unlikely backdrop to a sequence of tumultuous events that changed the course of Britain’s history, monarchy and religion.

 

Its panelled rooms house fine furniture, tapestries, antiques and what is regarded by some as ‘one of the best collections of Tudor portraits after the National Portrait Gallery’.  Also, two prayer books which belonged to Anne Boleyn and bear her inscriptions and signature are on display to visitors in the Castle.

 

Today, much of what you see is the result of the remarkable efforts of William Waldorf Astor  who used his fortune to restore and extend the Castle in the early 20th century. The Astor Suite is dedicated to its more recent history, showcasing pictures and memorabilia relating to the Astor family and the Edwardian period.

 

Explore the Castle, enjoy a 2 course Christmas lunch as as dusk falls walk the Christmas lights trail.

 

 Theres also the Minature Model Houses to view and you can learn about the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry through interactive,

 imaginative displays that bring to life the stories of their soldiers from 1794 to the present day.

 

 

 

Two Course Lunch

 

Mulled Wine or Hot Spiced Apple Juice on arrival.

 

Roasted Carved Breast of Local Bronze Turkey, Pigs in Blankets, Roasted Potatoes, Chestnut Stuffing, Seasonal Vegetables & Gravy.

 

OR

 

Chestnut & Onion Roast, Roasted Potatoes, Glazed Root Vegetables, Brussel Sprouts & Mushroom Sauce.

 

 

Hever Castle Christmas Pudding, Armagnac Custard & Griottines Cherries or Lemon Posset with Mulled Plum Compote & Vanilla Shortbread Crumb.

 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and  Vegetarian on request.

 

 

 

Requests for particular seats on the coach can be made when booking and we will do our best to accommodate these requests, but allocations are made on a first come first served basis, dependent upon customer mobility. We reserve the right to change your seat and allocate you a different one for operational reasons.

On single bookings, we reserve the right to alter your seating to maximize the seating available. We accept no liability in the event of any such change.

Accessibility

Visitors should consider access to the Castle according to their individual needs.

 

• We regret that it is not possible for visitors to use motorised wheelchairs or mobility scooters inside the Courtyard or Castle due to the historic nature of the building and its contents.

• We have 4 manual wheelchairs available for hire for a refundable deposit of £25.00 per wheelchair. It is essential to book these prior to a visit (not the same day). These can be booked by calling the Shop (10am-3pm) on 01732 861718 and selecting option 2. For your own safety, we advise wheelchair and mobility scooters keep to the hard surfaced shingle paths.

• Wheelchairs cannot be taken up staircases inside the Castle for health and safety reasons.

• Pushchairs cannot be taken into the Castle and must be left in the Courtyard for health and safety reasons.

• From the drawbridge there is one step down to the Gatehouse followed by three steps down to the Courtyard. We regret that it is not possible to install a ramp for these steps for health and safety reasons. From the Courtyard there is one step up and down into the Castle’s Entrance Hall.

 

Gardens

• Most of the gardens are accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs as they are mainly on one level and the majority of steps are ramped.

•  The paths are loose gravel, tarmac, stone, or grass with gradual inclines. 

 

Castle

• There are three floors to view in the Castle.

• The ground floor is arranged on one level, and is the only floor suitable for wheelchair use. There are six rooms to view before reaching thirteen spiral steps up to the middle floor. It should be noted that the spiral steps to the middle floor are the only means of reaching the upper floors.

• The middle floor is arranged on various levels, with steps up and down into most of the rooms. There are sixteen steps up to the top floor. The top floor is also arranged on various levels. There are twenty six spiral steps down from the top floor to exit into the Courtyard.

• All staircases in the Castle have a banister rail.

• Inside the Castle the floor surface is wood in most rooms, with some areas being carpeted or covered in carpet matting.

• Individual seats and window seats are located in some rooms. Please note that some rooms do not have seating available

• Lighting inside the Castle is generally bright with LED spotlights, wall sconces, or chandeliers. However, some areas are more dimly lit to aid preservation of the exhibits.

 

 

This is a Fast Track trip, picking up at:

Leighton Buzzard West Street

Tring, Brook Street

Hemel Hempstead, Gadebridge Park

T&Cs Hever Castle