Ightham

Description

Ightham Mote, Ivy Hatch

Close to the major town of Sevenoaks on the western edge of Kent is Ivy Hatch – a delightful hamlet in which, at the bottom of a steep wooded lane, lies the most extraordinary Ightham Mote. Built in Kentish ragstone and dating from the 13th century, it is one of the finest moated manor houses remaining in England and includes a giant dog kennel, shown in the forefront of this drawing. ‘Mote’ is not the same as ‘moat’ – the large, deep, water-filled defensive ditch around the house. A ‘mote’ is either a mound, especially one with a castle on it, or a word of Saxon origin for a place of assembly.