Daffodils bloom for 120th year at Hever Castle

The King Alfred daffodils at Hever are believed to date from 1904

A swathe of daffodils at a Kent tourist attraction are in bloom for their 120th year.

It is thought the large group of King Alfred daffodils at Hever Castle, near Edenbridge, were planted in 1904.

They were first grown by the castle's former owner and American billionaire William Waldorf Astor, a castle spokesperson said.

Neil Miller, head gardener, said Lord Astor was "obsessed with daffodils and instructed his team to plant them across the estate".

A large swathe of King Alfred daffodils was planted by Lord Astor at Hever opposite the Loggia and another beneath the oak tree on the corner of Sunday Walk.

Mr Miller added: “One of the groups of daffodils are planted just on the corner where (Lord) Astor would have walked to church every Sunday."

The businessman, who was the richest man in the US, moved to the UK in the late 19th century, where he purchased Hever Castle.

Neil Miller and his team look after 80,000 daffodils at Hever

"We know he was keen on the new trends and King Alfred was a sensation in the daffodil world," said Mr Miller.

The head gardener said he had inspected the daffodils and, knowing that Lord Astor was a keen buyer of new varieties, believed they were originals.

Johnny Walkers, a bulb expert, said: “King Alfred was a variety that all growers had on their list because it was good in both the glasshouse and in the field.

"It still endures today."

Hever Castle has around 80,000 daffodil bulbs of different types spread across the estate.

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