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Heritage Open Day

As part of England's largest community festival of history and culture, we'll be opening our doors for free all day.

  • Booking not needed
  • Free event

Heritage Open Days offer free access to heritage sites, events and activities across England. We are throwing open our doors to welcome members and non-members on Monday 15 September.

During your visit you can join free introductory talks giving an overview of the history of Ightham Mote at 11.15am, 12.15pm and 2.15pm and guided walking garden tours at 11:50am and 1.50pm.

Two other properties close to Ightham Mote, Owletts, family home of the renowned architect Sir Herbert Baker, and Cobham Wood and Mausoleum, a restored 18th century mausoleum set in a peaceful wood pasture, will be open between 12.30 and 4.30pm on Sunday 21 September.

There are thousands of free in-person events running across the country with a wealth of hidden places and stories to discover.

It's brought to you by the National Trust, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and delivered locally by a large range of organisations, including civic societies, heritage organisations and local councils, community champions and thousands of volunteers.

You can find more details about Heritage Open Days on the festival's website.

Times

The basics

Booking details

Call 01732 810378

Suitability

Children welcome

Meeting point

Please go to the Visitor Centre.

Upcoming events

Saving Ightham: celebrating 40 years of Ightham Mote's legacy 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Charles Henry Robinson gifting Ightham Mote to the National Trust.

Event summary

on
26 Aug to 2 Nov 2025
at
10:00 to 16:30
+ 68 other dates or times

Summer of Play 

Step into a Wonderland of summer fun from 19 July to 31 August.

Event summary

on
26 Aug to 31 Aug 2025
at
10:00 to 17:00
+ 5 other dates or times

Sargent’s Palette in Bloom 

Discover how Ightham Mote inspired internationally renowned artist John Singer Sargent.

Event summary

on
26 Aug to 2 Nov 2025
at
11:00 to 16:00
+ 68 other dates or times

Exhibition: Ightham at War 

The Ightham at War: Prisoners With Parallel Fates exhibition tells the extraordinary stories of two men at war —one a captured British soldier, the other a downed German pilot— both connected by Ightham Mote.

Event summary

on
26 Aug to 28 Sep 2025
at
11:00 to 16:00
+ 33 other dates or times