Ightham Mote with kids – National Trust day out in Kent

Sometimes the spontaneous decisions are the best. Spending the weekend in Kent with friends, we’d dithered between the string of tempting National Trust properties and an unpromising weather forecast before deciding on a visit to Ightham Mote with kids.

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One of several National Trust properties in Kent, all within a small radius, we’d had Knole and Chartwell on our shortlist as well as Ightham Mote. But venturing out after a rainy morning for a leisurely roast dinner in the sunny pub garden of The Chaser Inn, nearby Ightham Mote was the perfect place to spend a couple of hours. 

With less erratic weather, I suspect the kids would happily have played in the natural playground and had a picnic on the grass for much longer. But even with grey skies looming, the 14th century moated manor house is a gorgeous little spot with a trail through the house for kids if you visit Ightham Mote in the rain.

The house, set in its own little moat – the name is pronounced ‘ite-ham’ incidentally – has endured for 700 years.

The wooden beams in the roof of the great hall date back to 1330, and while its owners have included medieval knights who fought in the Hundred Years war, a relation to a 15th century queen and a Tudor courtier, as well as high society Victorians.

Not to mention a giant dog, if the size of the kennel in the courtyard is anything to go by. All three girls – my seven-year-old and two friends – fitted in with room to spare and barely even needed to duck to get in.

There’s never quite enough time to soak up all the details and information when you explore somewhere like Ightham Mote with kids – my daughter always seems to dash through at an enthusiastic pace.

So I was doubly glad of the treasure trail style activity sheet she got on entry – four A4 pages of photos of various details from the house and courtyard for kids to spot as they go round. 

It’s not tricky but it does mean that they have to stop, look around and take in some of the interesting points from the house along the way.

Which gave me the occasional moment to ask a question of the knowledgeable volunteers or speed read the helpful laminated information sheets – or just gaze at the carved dark wood four-poster bed and wish that I had one like it at home.

Along the way, we discovered everything from a Victorian bathroom with rocking horse to the Old Chapel, gorgeous stained glass and carvings galore plus a rather gruesome oubliette, which my daughter’s friend accurately decided was ‘creepy’.

There was even a historic cage-style mousetrap – a humane one, we decided, even if the carved wooden mouse inside seemed to be on his last legs.

Unlike some National Trust properties, which are wonderful in their grandeur but astonishing to consider anyone living there, Ightham Mote is easy to think of as a family home.

A beautiful and unusual one, of course, but between the little everyday details and the lovely furnishings, I could almost catch the echoes of some of its former inhabitants… and drift quickly off into daydreams of living there myself.

There are tours both of the house and gardens but if, like us, you’re visiting Ightham Mote with kids, you’ll probably have to skip those to explore at your own pace – again, unlike some properties, there’s no timed entry to the house and it’s easy to wander from grounds to buildings to gardens and back again.

The gardens were blooming when we visited in August: the end of the lavender, sweet peas climbing their poles, a blaze of colour from the flowers and apples starting to ripen on the trees in the cutting garden.

Past the stables, with a quick peek through a door in the wall to the Laundry Cottage. Parts of this date from the 15th century and it’s not always open: the cottage itself is available to rent with its own little gardens to spot.

There is a trail through the garden too, but my daughter and her friends were ready for some less structured fun – hide and seek, scampering across the lawn, watching sycamore seeds spiral down helicopter-style, and searching for the secret garden.

Stepping into the enclosed garden, with its pond in the centre of the walled section, it looks at first as if there’s only hedge at the back. But venture further and you see the entrance to another hidden spot, its own little pools tucked away unseen behind.

If you do take a garden tour, you can discover the South Pleasure grounds as well. We headed in the opposite direction, past the ‘stumpery’, a Victorian addition to create a home for wildlife and past the deckchairs overlooking the North Lake to the natural play area.

We’ve discovered these at Scotney Castle and Osterley House among others, and this one didn’t disappoint either. Don’t expect swings and slides but it’s all the more fun for that.

Musical instruments made of wood, a willow walk, tree stump stepping stone and more to cross the little stream – it’s simple but kept them happily entertained for well over half an hour.

And they’d happily have stayed longer if we didn’t drag them away.

With walking trails through the 500 acres of grounds, including one which takes you to another Kent medieval house, Old Soar Manor, a trail to Knole, as well as to the site of an Iron Age hillfort at Oldbury Hill, there’s plenty more to explore as well.

If we didn’t have chance to tackle any of those walking routes, fortunately, there was time for ice cream in the cafe… and a resolution to come back again for a longer visit.

For ideas of more days out with kids in Kent, check out my top picks

Ightham Mote with kids: Need to know

Tickets for Ightham Mote cost from £16 for adults and £8 for children, £40 for a family ticket. Entrance is free to National Trust members as well as children under five.

There are also cheaper winter and Christmas entry prices.

For Ightham Mote opening times, click here – the grounds are open from dawn to dusk during the summer, while last admission to the gardens is 30 minutes before closing. Last admission to the house is 30 minutes before the house closes.

Parking at Ightham Mote costs £3 for non-members. Free for members (you do need to display a ticket)

There are toilets by the cafe outside the property itself, as well as more inside near the house.

You can borrow baby hip-seats to explore the house as well as a baby feeding room, and the cafe has the usual kids’ lunchboxes (as well as ice cream and cake).

Ightham Mote has activity sessions on its special themed Thursdays with crafts for kids at an extra £2 as part of its holiday family fun.

There’s also a special map of the gardens for children to discover everything from the trip trap bridge to the curly wurly tree.

It’s worth knowing that you can’t bring large bags or backpacks (including baby carriers) into the house, and high-heeled shoes aren’t allowed either – my chunky low heeled boots were fine, but if you were considering stilettos, leave those at home!

PIN FOR LATER: VISITING IGHTHAM MOTE WITH KIDS

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. We paid for our own National Trust membership which we used to visit.

Images copyright MummyTravels

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