Hever Castle Floods

[Coast]

Floods which devastated Hever Castle in Kent twice in a decade will be remembered during an anniversary exhibition this month. Heavy rains that fell in October 1968, took two years to drain from the historic former home of Anne Boleyn, and a further two passed before repairs to the manor were complete. The exhibition, which begins this weekend and runs until November 23, will also feature pictures and information on an earlier flood that hit the castle in 1958.

www.hevercastle.co.uk

Head steward Jane Apps said: “They were both very bad floods that devastated the castle and no doubt caused a lot of trauma for the Astor family who lived there at the time. “The whole area was prone to flooding and when William Waldorf Astor bought the home in 1903, he was determined to safeguard it. He took measures to defend the house by building the lake. He also shifted the course of the River Eden.

“But when a very big storm hit in 1958, the measures were insufficient to stop the floodwater getting in. The storm in 1968 was even worse. A month’s rain fell in 12 hours and the ground floor was under more than four feet of water.“According to the newspapers at the time, a lot of the antiques were saved but the Astors had to throw many of their possessions away. Their staff had to be rescued by boat.”

www.kentnews.co.uk

[Cakie]

Wow, 2 years to drain away

I really like Hever castle, kids really liked the torture exhibition

[MAF]

thanks Coast, love reading the historical weather posts here. make history a far better read then just boring dates and events

[snow raven]

Thanks Coast - we went to Hever Castle this summer and they mentioned the floods of 1968 and the exhibition coming later in the year - you have just reminded me about it.

Think we will pop along before it finishes.

And yes Katie - mini raven rather liked the torture exhibition and enjoyed the stories of what the instruments were used for