Last October we signed up the The National Trust; Perhaps a sign of our impending middle age, but more likely dues to our love of old houses and the countryside. Since we signed up we have been exploring a raft of properties, we are going to share some out our photos and thoughts here.
On Sunday 1st May we made the most of the Sunny weather and headed to Ightham Mote (pronounced Item Moat) in Kent. The House is a fourteenth century moated manor house, and eludes all the period charm you would expect of a 700 year old house. The historian David Starkey describes the house as ‘one of the most beautiful and interesting of English country houses’ and who are we to disagree?
The House is sounded by a moat consists of about 70 rooms around a very beautiful central courtyard. Highlights include the great hall, the old and new chapels, a tudor painted ceiling and the only listed dog house in the country. There are introductory talks to help you get a sense of the place, and you can do a tour of the tower to learn even more.
The gardens are very pleasant to walk around, and there are 3 guided walks around the estate. As it is bluebell time of year we opted for the Scathes Wood route. This being a National Trust property there is a lovely little shop and a cafe for lunch or tea.
Find out more at the National Trust website
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