A family day out has been overdue for ages now. We have been excited about visiting Hever Castle in Kent since the beginning of the year, when we first planned to visit during the Easter school holidays! Whilst it wasn’t quite the warm spring weather we’d hoped for, the rain fortunately stayed away for the duration of our visit. This lent itself to us fully enjoying the Lindt gold bunny hunt as we explored the beautiful gardens surrounding the castle! 

Lindt gold bunny hunt

When we’d arrived at Hever Castle, we were provided with the Lindt gold bunny hunt map and quiz along with another couple of leaflets.  It wasn’t long at all before we spotted a golden bunny and soon afterwards we found our first #LindtGoldBunny stop. When you get to each stop there is a (multiple choice) question on the quiz for you to answer.

We enjoyed walking through the gardens, (more about those later), looking out for bunnies as we went along. Naturally, we made a pit-stop when my mum spotted locally produced Solley’s ice cream for sale! Autumn enjoyed having some too.

Autumn is currently enjoying her first ice cream at beautiful @hevercastle 🍦❤ A strawberry shortcake @solleysicecream 🍓😍#solleysselfie pic.twitter.com/QM8O8pY5Z8

— Laura 🦉 (@Autumns_Mummy) April 3, 2018

We had a great view of the castle and another giant gold Lindt bunny while we ate too!

Before long we were on our feet again and found the last stop on the trail. Upon completion of the quiz, you can claim your prize of a Lindt gold bunny. Autumn was delighted!

Gardens

I’d last visited Hever Castle on a school trip when I was in Year 4. I’m not sure I visited the gardens, but if I did then I didn’t remember them! However, as an adult I can fully appreciate their beauty. You could just keep taking photos as there are so many interesting elements of the gardens.

Autumn enjoyed walking around them too.

I’d love to visit again in the summer when there will likely be more colour. However, the spring flowers and daffodils were absolutely beautiful too!

To me, they’re a sign of new beginnings and the (hopefully) brighter, warmer weather to come in the following months. I didn’t see any, but there should be tulips in bloom within a fortnight or so, which will also be a lovely sight to behold – Hever Castle actually have a Tulip Festival from mid to late April. That said, the castle and grounds are beautiful all year round, even on a windy and gloomy overcast day.

The Castle

The Tudor period has always been one of my favourite parts of history to study. To stand where Anne Boleyn would have stood, lived and played is amazing. Perhaps surprisingly, it looks much more cosy than your average castle.

My parents and I are interested in history, but my husband Dave isn’t so much. Pushchairs aren’t allowed in the castle, so he stayed outside and walked around with Autumn, catching Pokemon and taking photos of a heron who was looking eagerly into the moat. There is a lot to look around inside the castle and I was surprised that I remembered several things from my previous visit when I was 9 years old! Hever Castle must have left quite an impression on me; I have to say I’ve been keen to go back ever since.

There are various artefacts to look at including large tapestries. I remembered the one in the dining room from my last visit, as the sheer size of it amazed me.

Meanwhile, the craftsmanship of the woodwork and ceilings in many of the rooms is admirable.

It is thought that Henry VIII may have stayed in the largest bedroom when he was courting Anne Boleyn. It’s easy to see why he was given that room, as it is very grand. Except for some familiar Tudor family faces above the fireplace, all the wood panelling in the room is original. I’m not sure that many new build houses today will last anywhere near as long!

More Easter events

When we entered the castle, it was not long before closing time. However, there was another Easter quiz in there with some very interesting questions. They are multiple choice and are answered by a figure on top of an Easter egg in the next room you visit. I don’t want to spoil them all for you, but I chuckled when I found out giraffes used to be known as cameleopards!

To the left of the castle, near the information kiosk and shop, there are currently some marquees. There, children can take part in an Easter bonnet craft workshop and a best bonnet parade. Autumn didn’t take part in this as she was too young, but it’d be great fun for slightly older children! There’s also a fantastic looking playground nearby, so there is certainly a lot to entertain younger members of the family too. We all had a great time.

Easter activities at Hever Castle for 2018 end on Sunday 15th April, make sure you don’t miss out!

Disclosure: My family and I visited Hever Castle in exchange for this review. As always, all views and opinions are honest and my own.