Ightham Mote circular walk to Wilmot Hill
Enjoy the Kentish countryside from the Ightham Mote estate as you walk the periphery of a large part of its 580 acres. The walk incorporates Scathes Wood, the Greensand Way, Wilmot Hill and Broadhoath Wood. You can choose from two options when you near the end of your walk.
Near to
Ightham MoteStart point
The Mote Café, Ightham Mote; grid ref: TQ584535Trail information
Total stages: 6
Total stages: 6
Start point
The Mote Café, Ightham Mote; grid ref: TQ584535
Stage 1
With the Mote Café on your left-hand side, proceed up through the disabled car park. At the first junction carry straight on through the wooded parking area and up the main driveway. Look out for a five-bar gate on the right, which is the entrance to Scathes Wood. Walk through the opening next to the gate and follow the footpath ahead, ignoring paths to the right and left, until the path ahead begins to turn left. At this point, look for a path to the right, with a stile leading to a parallel path.
Stage 2
Take this path and cross the stile to turn right down a slope into a field. Continue on along the edge of the field with the hedgerow on the right, mostly downhill to a T-junction and a National Trust sign. Turn right onto the bridleway and continue on ahead, walking past Ightham Mote house. The bridleway bears to the left, up to the rear entrance gate and Mote Road. Turn right onto Mote Road and walk a short distance to the entrance track to Mote Farm on your left.
View from Scathes Wood on the Ightham Mote estate | © National Trust / Piers Pardoe Stage 3
Walk up the track past the farmyard, bearing right to follow the track in a westerly direction to Wilmot Cottage, ignoring a track forking to the right on the way. Proceed past the cottage (formerly a blacksmith's and pack horse station) and an old brick filter house or spring, to steps up on the right, turning left to head west again. Continue on for approximately 87yd (80m) to a footpath on the right. Now leave the Greensand Way and follow the green walk at this right turn, bearing right up steps then turning 180 degrees to head west again on up a narrow path up a steep incline (there is a steep bank sloping away on the left-hand side). At the top of the path, cross a stile with a National Trust sign.
The walk up to Wilmot Hill on the Ightham Mote estate | © Roy Garratt Stage 4
Having crossed the stile, turn right and step under or around the permitted footpath timber barrier and proceed downhill to a cross path. Continue on over this cross path, stepping between points at the side of a timber barrier, to follow the path ahead with the tree line on the right.
Stage 5
Carry on down this path, which bears right, before heading down to another timber barrier. Beyond is a bridleway that sweeps down from Broadhoath Wood on the left, which you carry straight ahead on. Some 55yd (50m) before this barrier there is a narrow path between trees, leading to two springs flowing out of the hillside. (These springs feed the pond below by the barrier, which is the main water course that flows through Ightham Mote, serving the north and south lakes, and of course the moat). Pass between the posts at the barrier and continue on with a stream on your right, past the hopper huts (one-room houses that were used by hop pickers on their working holidays) and silt trap to Moat Road.
The view from Wilmot Hill on the Ightham Mote estate | © National Trust / Piers Pardoe Stage 6
From here, you can cross the road and walk up the footpath at the north end of the Ightham Mote garden, up a few steps to the entrance driveway to Ightham Mote. Turn right to enter the car park and complete the walk.
End point
The Mote Café, Ightham Mote; grid ref: TQ584535
Trail map
Ightham Mote's circular walk to Wilmot Hill map | © Ordnance Survey
More near here
Ightham Mote circular walk to Knole
This circular walk from Ightham Mote passes along the Greensand Way, through areas of outstanding natural beauty to Knole Park and back to Ightham Mote.
Ightham Mote circular walk to Oldbury Hill
Enjoy a picturesque circular walk from Ightham to Oldbury Hill, passing through an area of mixed woodland as well as fish ponds and an old quarry.
Ightham Mote circular walk to Old Soar Manor
This historical circular walk links two National Trust places dating to medieval times, while also taking you through the ancient woodland of Scathes Wood and into Fairlawne Estate.
Ightham Mote circular walk to Shipbourne and Fairlawne
A 3.5-mile circular walk from Ightham Mote through ancient Scathes Wood, through the Kentish countryside to the neighbouring estates of Fairlawne and Shipbourne.
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