This site 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. As you
drove in the entrance of the hotel, you may have noticed a slight
dip in the driveway; due to then frequent outbreaks of foot and mouth
disease, no-one was allowed to enter or leave the grounds without
going through the disinfectant it contained.
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. The restaurant area contained
the store where corn was dried and milled. Underneath the present
day floor, a number of storage chambers and grinding wheel supports
have recently been discovered.
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): Combined together,
these rooms used to be the farm manager and head cowman's cottage.
It is actually a T-shaped building with timber framing and ornate
chimney stacks. 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.
Gym and Membership services: Formally a six bay cart
shed, it is still possible to make out the formerly open archways.
Next door to this building was a large hay barn structure.
Hever Hotel Topcrown Leisure Limited,
Co. Number 3200400,
Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7NP. marketing@petcheyleisure.com - 0034 952850218 - 0870 870 6911 (from UK only).
