KENT.- A painting of the gardens at Hever by former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) has come home to the Castle. Dating from the 1930’s the oil painting, View through an Arch at Hever depicts the Italian Garden at Hever Castle at the time it was owned by Churchill’s close friends, John Jacob Astor V (known as JJ) and Lady Violet Astor. The painting was recently purchased by Hever Castle in a Private Sale from Christies and unveiled by Lord and Lady Astor at a celebratory event.

Churchill regularly visited Hever Castle from his nearby home, Chartwell, and painted at the historic building due to his friendship with fellow artist John Jacob Astor (1886-1971). Other paintings of the gardens at Hever Castle can be found in the house and studio at the family home of Sir Winston. Although Churchill only painted part-time, he produced over 500 pictures. Although he attempted portraits and interiors, Churchill is best known for his landscapes, especially of Kent - where he lived - and abroad.

The new Churchill painting will be on display in the Inner Hall, where visitors can also find out about visits from The Times staff and the Second World War effort in the nearby Moat Room (not usually open to the public). This will include footage from Hever Castle in 1943 from the Imperial War Museum. The unveiling of the painting also marked changes to the layout of the historic attraction to better tell the history of its ownership. A re-curation of the Castle now tells the story of the families who lived there, starting with the Astors.

This re-curation follows new research revealed by Architectural Historian and former Chief Executive of English Heritage, Simon Thurley about the previous owners and history of the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

Visitors will now be able to find out more about former owner William Waldorf Astor’s vision for his home as part of a new permanent exhibition on the ground floor of the Castle. Astor transformed the historic building which had fallen into disrepair when he bought it at the turn of the 20th century. They can find out more about the visit of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (who became Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother), hosted by JJ Astor, where she contemplated whether or not to accept the marriage proposal of the future George VI, and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of a drinks reception in the Drawing Room in 1922 with gramophone music playing.

Visitors can discover the history of the Great Hall via an audio/visual display which includes a scent machine to enable visitors to imagine Peach Melba Pudding being served for a dinner party hosted by JJ Astor. They can also see the impact the floods had on the Castle and the Astor family in the Entrance Hall. Currently upstairs in the castle is an exhibition following the relationship between Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn (until November 2023). The upper two floors of the castle will be re-curated over the next two years to celebrate and reflect the new research into the castle's history - with a focus on former owners, the Boleyns and Anne of Cleves.

Hever Castle in Kent has a wealth of history; most recognisably it was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. In the 15th and 16th centuries the Boleyn family added the Tudor dwelling within the walls. The Castle was then owned by several families before William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle, building the ‘Tudor Village’ and creating the gardens, lake and a golf course. The ‘Tudor Village’ is now an acclaimed 5-star luxury bed and breakfast. Yorkshire family, the Guthries, are the current owners of the Hever Castle Estate. Their mission is to conserve and improve the Hever Castle Estate whilst maintaining its integrity and making its important history available to inform and educate visitors.