There have been three main periods in the construction of this historic castle. The oldest part of the Castle dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey. In the early 1500s the Boleyn family bought the Castle and added a Tudor dwelling within the walls and so it became the childhood home of its most famous inhabitant, Anne Boleyn. It later passed into the ownership of Henry’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. From 1557 onwards the Castle was owned by a number of families including the Waldegraves, the Humphreys and the Meade Waldos. Finally, in 1903, William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle, building the ’Tudor Village’ and creating the gardens and lake.
The Castle and Gardens were opened to the public in 1963 by William Waldorf Astor's grandson, Gavin. In 1983 the Castle was bought by the current owners, Broadland Properties Limited, a family-run company. The Castle has a homely atmosphere and houses historic 16th century Tudor portraits, furniture and tapestries. Other artefacts include two magnificent Books of Hours (prayer books), both signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn. The Council Chamber in the thirteenth century gatehouse contains collections of historic swords, armour, instruments of execution, torture and discipline.
Loading contexts...