Name: Ightham Mote
Rating: 5.0

Ightham Mote

Mote Road, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0NT, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

Ightham Mote hidden away in a secluded Kent valley, is this perfectly preserved medieval moated manor house. Emerging from the natural landscape almost 700 years ago, Ightham Mote is built from Kentish ragstone and great Wealden oaks.

While its architecture and decoration trace the development of the English country house, its owners provide the stories of a once-cherished family home, evoking a deep sense of history. In the tranquil gardens there are streams and lakes fed by natural springs, an orchard, flower borders and a cutting garden. The wider estate offers walks with secret glades and countryside views.

Price starts from £8.80 for Adults(18 years and over), £4.40 for Children(5-17 & under 5s free) and £13.20 for Family(1 adult and 2 children). If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

House: Romantic moated manor house with 700 years of history, architecture and stories under one roof.
Garden: Nestled in a hidden valley, 14 acres of tranquil garden, pleasure grounds, orchard, water features, lakes and woodland.
Estate: Over 500 acres of landscape carved from woodland, in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with a variety of walking trails.
Grade I listed dog kennel: Home to the only Grade I listed dog kennel in the UK, built in 1890 for Dido, the St. Bernard by Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson.
Natural play area: Splash in the stream, play with the chimes, balance on beams and stepping stones and sit on cute wooden piggies.
Shop: Seasonal accessories and gifts, food and plants. Locally made products and souvenirs.
Second-hand bookshops: In Laundry Cottage and the Coach House, there's a wide variety of second-hand books of all genres for all ages.
A Timeless Christmas - 700 years of festive cheer: Journey through time as you step into seven centuries of Christmas magic at Ightham Mote. From pagan yuletide customs and Tudor festivities to a traditional Victorian Christmas and the cosy familiarity of 20th century celebrations, each space brings to life the sights, sounds and traditions of Christmas past.
Visiting Ightham Mote with the family: This winter at Ightham Mote, families can dive into playful adventures and festive fun. With Christmas trails, creative crafts, natural play areas, dress-up corners, and plenty of space to explore, it’s the perfect spot for little imaginations to run wild.
The garden at Ightham Mote: With smaller, more formal courtyard gardens, lawns and borders leading to more open, relaxed, areas of planting and woodland, Ightham Mote's garden has something ethereal about it. Each area of the garden, surrounding the four sides of the house, are connected by pathways and water. Whether it's the sunlight glistening on the moat, pools or and lakes, early morning mists, dew sparkling on spider webs, or the sound of running water from the springs, fountains or cascades, the garden has a wonderful, mysterious and tranquil atmosphere.
The house at Ightham Mote: Although the exterior of the house remained largely unchanged through each successive ownership, when it came to interior decoration, successive generations responded to each new fashion. Inside Ightham Mote you’ll find a Jacobean staircase and chimney pieces, Palladian and Gothic windows, and walls hanging with hand-painted Chinese wallpaper from the 18th century or covered with panelling in the Old English style.
The estate at Ightham Mote: Discover the estate at Ightham Mote, lying within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The estate is an ancient landscape, with the farmland carved from the wood that once covered much of the Kentish Weald. Surrounding the house and garden, farmland occupies over two-thirds of the estate, with woodland making up around a third.

Facilities

Parking: Free parking for National Trust members. Non-members; £3 per car. Coin payment only.
Food & Drinks: Mote Café is open from 10am daily, serving tasty hot and cold food and drinks. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area.
Toilet: Located by the Mote Café and the Coach House. Baby changing facilities and accessible toilets are available in both locations.
Dogs allowed: Dogs on short leads are welcome in all areas of the property; except the natural play area, enclosed garden and house. Owners can bring their dog into the café to order but are asked to use the outside seating area to eat and drink. Dogs kept under close control are also welcome on the estate countryside walks. Assistance dogs are allowed in all spaces.

What to see

The history and owners of Ightham Mote: Ightham Mote is one of the oldest medieval manor houses to survive in England. It had a number of owners, who made a series of alterations and additions throughout the centuries. Discover who they were and what changes they made.

For more upcoming events information please visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/ightham-mote/the-history-and-owners-of-ightham-mote

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

House, Garden, Estate (22 Nov - 4 Jan):

Adult (18+): £14.30 with Gift Aid & £13.00 without Gift Aid.
Child (5–17) under 5s free: £7.20 with Gift Aid & £6.50 without Gift Aid.
Family (2 adults and up to 3 children): £35.80 with Gift Aid & £32.50 without Gift Aid.
1 adult, 2 children: £21.50 with Gift Aid & £19.50 without Gift Aid.
Group (Adult 18+): £12.35.
Group (Child 5–17): £6.18.

Garden only and Estate (3 - 21 Nov):

Adult (18+): £8.80 with Gift Aid & £8.00 without Gift Aid.
Child (5–17) under 5s free: £4.40 with Gift Aid & £4.00 without Gift Aid.
Family (2 adults and up to 3 children): £22.00 with Gift Aid & £20.00 without Gift Aid.
1 adult, 2 children: £13.20 with Gift Aid & £12.00 without Gift Aid.

Pricing URL: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/ightham-mote#place-prices

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Estate: Dawn - Dusk
Garden: 10:00 - 16:00
Shop: 10:00 - 16:00
The house is currently closed until Saturday 22 November. The gardens, café, shop and estate are open as normal. Last entry to the gardens is 3.30pm, closing at 4pm. Last entry to the café is 3.45pm, closing at 4pm. Booking is not required. Late night Christmas openings until 7pm are taking place on: Thursday 27 November, Thursday 4 December, Friday 5 December, Thursday 11 December, Thursday 18 December and Friday 19 December.

Address: Mote Road, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0NT, UK

Post Code: TN15 0NT

Council: Tunbridge Wells

County: Kent

By train: Hildenborough (4 miles) and Sevenoaks (7 miles) are both on the London Bridge / London Charing Cross to Hastings mainline. Sevenoaks (7 miles) is also on the Thameslink line from Bedford. Borough Green and Wrotham (3½ miles) are on the London Victoria to Ashford line. It is advised to take a taxi from the train stations listed as Ightham Mote is several miles away and would take well over an hour to walk to. Taxi ranks or phones are available at most of the stations.
By road: 6 miles north of Tonbridge on A227 - follow the brown sign to the left along High Cross Road, towards Ivy Hatch and turn left onto Mote Road; 6 miles south of Sevenoaks on A25 - follow the brown sign to the right along Coach Road. 16 miles west of Maidstone on A20/A25 - follow the brown sign to the left along Coach Road.
On foot: Ightham Mote is just off the Greensand Way - the long distance walking route across Surrey and Kent.
By bus: Book ahead the Go To Service Bus from Sevenoaks Station by calling 01732 463964 or download the 'Go to Sevenoaks' app and book online.
Cycling: The roads around Ightham Mote are single carriage-way country roads with national speed limits. The nearest cycle route is the Tonbridge to Ivy Hatch Loop (see www.cycle-route.com for more details). Bike racks are available in the main car park.
Parking: Free parking for National Trust members. Non-members; £3 per car. Coin payment only.