Hever Hotel & Country Club has an excited history behind it. Here are some of the highlights: General Information:
Hever Hotel was originally part of Lord Astor's Hever Castle Estate, and encompassed a dairy farm and its associated buildings, mostly built in c1904 by J.L Pearson. The farm was surrounded on all sides by Lodge Wood and was approached by a driveway that would have come out at the end of the restaurant building. In latter days, this driveway was extended to include the current entrance.
Stables Restaurant & Bar and Hotel Reception:
The reception area was formally cow byres. The water tower behind the reception area, held the water supply not only for the farm itself but also for the local fire engine. Points of Interest:
Upon leaving Reception and turning right, you may notice about 40 yards in front of you, a metal plate on the ground next to the oak tree; this was the weighbridge for the milkman.
Looking back again towards the water tower, notice the weathervane with the letter A for Astor.Rooms 1-13: Rooms 1 to 6 were the Gamekeepers bungalows whilst the others were used as kennels for the hunting dogs.Rooms 14-31: These rooms were the pig sties and calf pens except Room 31 which was, allegedly, the home of "Angus" the 100 stone Aberdeen Angus bull.
Rooms 32-34 (Dairy Cottages): Looking carefully at the windows you may notice they are the same style and construction as those in Hever Castle.As you walk around to the rooms, you will notice the curved wall. Behind this was a circular structure housing a show ring where cattle were paraded for sale or horses broken in.
Rooms 35-64 (Elizabethan Block): This building was formally the milking parlours and cow sheds. If you look at the back there is a raised concrete plinth, used for loading stock into vehicles.