Major renovation at Hever Castle set to end

The Boleyn Apartment at Hever Castle is being restored to how it would have looked in Tudor times

A major renovation at the childhood home of Anne Boleyn is due to be completed this summer.

The Boleyn Apartment at Hever Castle, Kent, is being re-interpreted with Tudor artefacts and furnishings to create an authentic 16th century atmosphere.

The project, which was originally scheduled to be finished in late March, is now due for completion on 26 June.

A Hever Castle spokesperson said the restoration of these Tudor rooms was an "incredibly rare, unique opportunity".

The Book of Hours prayer book signed by Anne Boleyn will be displayed in the restored Boleyn Apartment

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII. She was beheaded in 1536.

The launch of the Boleyn Apartment, on Hever Castle's first floor, has been delayed by "a change in direction and design", a spokesperson said.

The apartment is the only known surviving suite of rooms that the Boleyn family definitely occupied, according to Hever Castle.

"The use of tapestries, friezes, furniture, coats of arms and traditional smells will help visitors feel like they are walking in the shoes of the family who lived there," a castle spokesperson said.

The re-interpretation of these rooms has been planned and researched for more than a year, with advice from historian Dr David Starkey.

Kate McCaffrey, Hever Castle historian, said: "We wanted to create an immersive series of rooms that lets the visitor step back in time to the world of Anne Boleyn and her family."

Behind-the-scenes tours are taking place to view the renovations and rooms that are closed because of them.