The oldest part, dated 1270, is a gatehouse and walled bailey, which the article calls the only original part of the castle. It has what the article calls the oldest working original portcullis in England. The page also notes that original timbers are visible within the stone walls.
Geoffrey Boleyn converted the castle into a manor in 1462 and added a Tudor dwelling within the walls. The Boleyns held it from 1462 to 1539, and Anne Boleyn spent her early youth there. Henry VIII gave it to Anne of Cleves in 1540.
William Waldorf Astor acquired and restored the castle in 1903. He added the Tudor village, called the Astor Wing, guest cottages, and the Italian Garden for his statuary. The yew maze dates from 1904, and a water maze opened in 1999. The article gives no dimensions and names no architect for Astor's work. It is open to the public.

Comments