2010

Ightham Mote and the Greensand Way Print

Ightham Mote and the Greensand Way

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Primrose
Today saw us visiting Ightham Mote, a property that we had visited before but today the plan was not only to visit the house but to have a walk too. Ightham Mote is a rare example of a moated medieval manor house. It dates from 1320 with important later additions and alterations right up to the present day. The National Trust, which looks after the property, undertook an extensive conservation and repair programme finishing in 2004 and now many of the rooms inside the house are open to the public. There are many interesting features to be seen but sadly, as with all National Trust properties, no photographs are allowed inside the house.

The weather wasn’t that promising but we set out all the same on a walk that followed an easy to follow waymarked footpath directly from the car park. The route soon joined up with the Greensand Way, a long distance path of 108 miles (174 km) which starts at Hamstreet in Kent and runs along the Greensand Ridge all the way to Haslemere in Surrey.

Our route took us past some hopper’s huts where up to the 1950s hop pickers, sometimes whole families, migrated from London in September to pick hops, with each family living in a single room. Today as we passed the property some people who had had a busy morning doing some coppicing work were stopping for their lunch.

 

Coppiced wood
Jelly Ear Fungi

 

 












We were hoping to see plenty of signs that spring was really on the way as everything seems to be very late this year following the coldest winter for many years. Along the route we found plenty of Wild Garlic so in a few weeks when they are in flower it must be very nice to walk past if you don’t mind the smell, which I don’t at all. I seemed to be finding plenty of fungi too, not quite what I expected on a springtime walk.

Our route followed footpaths through woodland and eventually we reached the top of the estate which is 650 ft above sea level. On a better day than today we would have had extensive views across the Kent Weald, but just as we reached this point it began to rain, so any long distance views were not very good. I think we came to the conclusion that the Greensand Way would be a rather nice footpath to follow but probably not after a lot of rain like today as the heavy clay soil was very sticky and not very pleasant to walk on.

Moat reflections
Archway
















Our route was a circular one which brought us back to Ightham Mote where after changing our muddy boots we had a look around the inside of the house and gardens.

A shame the weather wasn’t a bit better for our visit today, but it was still very enjoyable and as a bonus we heard and saw our first singing Chiffchaff and Skylark of the year. 

 

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