I

t’s easy to forget Anne Boleyn’s grisly end on the scaffold as you wander around the peaceful grounds of her childhood home at Hever.

The double-moated 13th-century castle is surrounded by award-winning gardens, including a children’s tower maze (the key to getting out is the order of Henry VIII’s wives), and a wet maze, consisting of a series of tilting stone walkways set over water. Remember to bring towels; you will get splashed.

If you’re staying at the four-bedroomed Medley Court, behind the castle, you’ll also get private entry to these gardens – and the surrounding parkland – as well as an original fireside that even Henry himself would approve of. Something else he’d be pleased with are the jousting tournaments that take place each summer, although he probably wouldn’t be as keen on the patchwork and quilting exhibition held in September.

Meanwhile, inside the castle it’s surprisingly homely, with Tudor family portraits on the walls and rich furnishings. The exception to this is in the gatehouse, though, which contains a collection of instruments of torture and – rather inappropriately – a beheading sword. Unless, you’ve got a strong stomach, we suggest sticking to the pretty walkways and intricate paintings.