Ightham Mote

Ightham Mote (pronounced ‘Eye-​tum Moat’) is one of my favourite spots to take friends and visitors.
The setting, on a hot summer’s day, is just perfect: you approach through a lovely, quiet valley (astonishingly so, given how close you are to London), and suddenly, there is a beautiful 14^th Century Manor-​House, set in a wide moat, surrounded by delightful gardens.
The house itself dates from 1320, with additions dating to around the early 1500’s. Set around an internal courtyard, features include the original 14^th century Great Hall, Old Chapel, Crypt, and a Tudor chapel with a painted ceiling, with motifs reflecting the marriage of Catherine of Aragon to Henry VIII. The house features classic overhanging Tudor wooden-​framed walls.
The gardens are small but delightful, but the parkland around is very extensive (over 500 acres — 200 hectares). There are both cycle-​ways and marked foot-​paths around the estate for the more energetic visitor.
Being owned by the National Trust, there is an excellent small shop and café, with details on accessibility on its web-​site.