National Trust Review: Ightham Mote with Kids

Have you ever visited Ightham Mote? Here’s our review of Ightham Mote to answer all your questions. It’s a brilliant National Trust Property in Kent that has a great kids play area and stream. When we bought National Trust Membership, we chose our first visit to be Ightham Mote as it was fairly close to home. You’ll also love our other Favourite Outdoor Days out In Kent.

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Ightham Mote Review

Ightham Mote is a Tudor House with lots of history and gardens which consists of formal gardens, a walled vegetable garden and a large more natural garden with lakes, ponds and even a children’s play area. This is a lovely place to visit and a gentle stroll around the house and gardens will while away a couple of hours in beautiful surroundings. I was surprised how much our children were fascinated with the 14th century manor house which dated back to 1320, they loved the ‘spot the worksheet’ which they completed whilst wandering around the house and they took great delight in seeing the old toilets and bathing facilities! The kids liked learning about the history of the place and It’s a great place to learn about history, particularly primary school kids learning about Henry VIII or the Middle Ages.

igtham mote national trust — Ightham Mote With Kids

How much does it cost to visit Ightham Mote, National Trust?

National Trust Property is free for members and costs for non-national trust members, £5.50 for children and £11 for adults.

Can you bring your dog to Ightham Mote?

Dogs are welcome on leads and welcome in the cafe outside.

Is there a cafe at Ightham Mote?

There is a cafe selling hot and cold food overlooking the beautiful gardens. There’s plenty of places to have a picnic in the grounds.

Is Ightham Mote Accessible?

There are accessible toilets and ground level access into the cafe. There is an accessible route down to the play area but the ground is very uneven which makes is difficult to push a wheelchair or pushchair. They do offer buggy drives if needed and there is a powered mobility scooter available too.

Is Ightham Mote buggy or pushchair friendly?

It is pushchair friendly up until the latter parks of the walk near the wooded area, where the ground is uneven. There are also narrow lanes near the stream play so a sling would be better for this section, particularly if you have a toddler paddling in the water.

There is enough to keep you entertained at Ightham Mote for a whole day, once you’ve spent some time playing in the natural springs, exploring the ancient woodland and balancing on the beams. There are a number of woodland walks in the area, lots of open spaces and even a walk from here to Knole Park which is about 8.5 mile walk another lovely National Trust where you can see deer. The enclosed garden is a must visit for those that loved the book – ‘The Secret Garden’ – it’s hidden beneath the herbaceous borders and is a magical place to view. There’s a lake and an orchard with apple trees.