Castles and Palaces
Hever CastleGood for kids of all ages; great for kids 10 and under
Hever Castle is a 700-year-old castle in Kent and was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. It was eventually gifted to Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, and then passed through a number of noble families before being bought in 1903 by the Astor family.
Hever is only 30 minutes by car from Gatwick or a little over an hour by train so it’s a great stop if you have a half day to kill before a flight. However, it’s so lovely that I’d recommend it regardless. The castle is an impressive sight, but it’s really the grounds that make it. There’s a water maze that our kids loved, a large yew maze, a sculpture garden, and a lake where you can take out a paddle or row boat (extra fee). There’s also a large playground. Cost is around 18 pounds for adults and 10 pounds for kids. And of course, there are several pubs in the surrounding area. If memory serves, we grabbed a pint at the Castle Inn.
If you’re traveling to Hever from the center of London, there are trains from Victoria and London Bridge. Travel time is around 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Windsor CastleGood for kids about eight and up, great if you want to let teens sleep in
Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and was most recently in the news because it was the site of Harry and Megan’s wedding. I visited in the summer of 2018 with my girls, ages 11 and 13 at the time, and it was a really fun day. You can see some state apartments, a beautiful chapel, an incredibly elaborate doll house that belonged to Queen Mary, the gardens, etc.
One thing I love about this outing is that unless seeing the changing of the guards is really important to you, it’s best to arrive after 12:00! You can let those grumpy teenagers sleep and actually wait in line less. We made the mistake of arriving exactly at 11, which is when the guards change. Everything stops when this happens (including allowing entry to the castle) so we had to wait for ages and didn’t see a thing. As soon as the guards changed, the crowds seemed to disappear. There is (shockingly) no café inside, only an ice cream stand so eat before you go or choose a spot in Windsor, which is lovely in and of itself.
It’s easy to reach from London…trains from Waterloo and Paddington…and takes from 40 minutes to an hour depending on the time of day. Definitely buy tickets ahead of time.
Buckingham PalaceSuitable for people who like to be bored to death
People have different reactions to Buckingham Palace. Some are unimpressed the first time they see it. Others love it. I think of it as pretty special and consider it a can’t miss for first timers. You can spend five minutes here or soak it up for quite a while…entirely down to your interests. Be sure to check your calendar for events to make sure you don’t miss anything. The Trooping of the Colours, for example, starts and ends at the Palace and takes place every June. Well worth checking out. Last time, we saw the Queen, Harry, Phillip, Kate, Megan, and Camilla.
The Green Park tube station (Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Victoria lines) is relatively close. Just cut across Green Park, which will be to your right if facing the Palace. It’s about a 10-minute walk.
Note: If you’re there between late July and September, Buckingham Palace is open for tours, and I highly recommend it! A very cool experience. You need to book in advance.
Note on Changing of the Guards: I’m sure many will disagree with me, but I don’t think the Changing of the Guards is worth the time. Unless you’re willing to stand there for an hour or more to wait for it to start, it’s almost impossible to get a decent view. It goes on and on, and I just don’t think it’s that interesting. Also, if it rains, they don’t change the guards (a fact that seems very anti-British if you ask me). If you want to take it in, be sure to check the times, as they change based on season.
