Skip to content

Eating and shopping at Ightham Mote

Catering assistant making drinks in the café at Morden Hall Park, London
Grab a hot drink on your visit to Ightham Mote | © National Trust Images/Rob Stothard

A trip to Ightham Mote wouldn’t be complete without popping into the shop or relaxing in the Mote Café. Conveniently located near the start or end of your visit to the house, garden or estate, they are a great way to refuel or pick up a reminder of your day. Don’t miss the second-hand bookshop to pick up your next page-turner.

Eating at the Mote Café

With tasty homemade treats, light lunches and refreshing drinks, Ightham Mote's café is the ideal place to relax during your visit or reward yourself at the end of a walk. The café is next to the car park, and there are toilets at the back of the building. It’s a great way to start and finish your visit.

Specialty coffees and teas

The friendly team of trained baristas serve espressos, lattes, cappuccinos and more. But never fear, we also serve tea – and lots of it.

Cakes and bakes

Choose from a selection of mouth-watering cakes, bakes and scones, with seasonal options throughout the year.

Tasty meals

Enjoy delicious, freshly prepared sandwiches, light lunches and hot meals, with many of the ingredients sourced locally.

Al fresco eating

Relax and enjoy an al fresco experience on the Mote Café outdoor patio. If you’d like to enjoy a picnic, then ask us for a take-away option and recline in the deckchairs at the north end of the garden. Dogs on leads are welcome on the patio.

Private functions

To book the Mote Café for private parties and functions, please contact the Food and Beverage Manager on 01732 811314.

Allergen information

Most of the food and drink served is prepared on site in our kitchen, using a wide range of ingredients. As a result, we can’t guarantee that any of our food and drink products are completely allergen free.

If you have an allergy or intolerance and would like ingredient information about the food and drink served, please ask the staff, who will be happy to help.

Always check when you visit

Visited before? We sometimes change our recipes to improve quality and flavour, including the ingredients. When you visit, please speak to one of our team to check the current allergen information for your favourite dish.

Thank you

Every cuppa or tasty treat you buy helps us to continue looking after places for everyone to enjoy.

Preserves on sale in a National Trust shop
You'll find a wide range of souvenirs in the shop | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Shopping at Ightham Mote

No visit to Ightham Mote is complete without a browse of the shop. Whether you're after a souvenir of your visit, a new plant for the garden or a treat for yourself or a friend, you won’t be stuck for ideas. Our new shop is located next to visitor reception.

Gift ideas

We have some unusual gifts for you to treat someone special. For those who love to accessorise, we have a selection of items you won't find on the high street, including locally made jewellery. If that someone is more outdoor orientated, then check out the range of walking essentials. For budding chefs, we've a range of cookbooks, and some foods to help inspire. Alternatively, if you're popping round to a friend for a meal, why not take an English wine or local beer?

Souvenirs

Don’t miss the exclusive range of Ightham Mote souvenirs to remind you of your visit. We have postcards to send to your friends and family, as well as a comprehensive souvenir guidebook. If you liked the wallpaper in the drawing room, it’s now available on mugs, coasters and trays. Find out what else we have available during your visit.

Food and drink

Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer something savoury, enjoy a little tipple or prefer something softer, there is something to tempt you. Discover the selection of jams, marmalades and chutneys, chocolate, sweets and biscuits. We also have locally produced Anno Gin, Westerham Beer and Biddenden wine, cider and apple juice. For the cooks among you, there are flavoured oils and dried mushrooms.

For your garden

We have gardener's essentials such as secateurs, tools and kneeling pads, as well as fun and quirky ornaments. There's always room for something extra in the garden, so from late spring to early autumn we have a good selection of garden plants for you to perfect your borders.

Sustainable living

If you're trying to help the environment by cutting down on the amount of waste you generate, have a look at the sustainable living range. There are beeswax food wraps, eco-friendly cleaners, re-usable straws, re-usable mugs and water bottles.

Second-hand Bookshop at Ightham Mote
Second-hand Bookshop at Ightham Mote | © Lynn Henry

Second-hand bookshop

Located in the last cottage within the grounds of Ightham Mote, Laundry Cottage is home to our second-hand bookshop. It offers a charming environment for you to browse our wide selection of secondhand books.

Donations of books are welcome and help support the conservation and vital projects at Ightham Mote. We can assist with transferring books from your car to the bookshop but it would be helpful to call ahead on 01732 811203.

For something a little different, leaf through our selection of rare and collectable books. Every book you buy from us helps to secure the future of this special place for the next generation to enjoy.

Thank you

It is through your purchases and support that we are able to continue to care for nature, beauty and history for everyone, for ever.

Visitors at Ightham Mote, Kent

Discover more at Ightham Mote

Find out when Ightham Mote is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

You might also be interested in

A view through a tunnel to the courtyard at Ightham Mote, with long windows visible on the other side of the courtyard
Article
Article

The house at Ightham Mote 

Enter this medieval half-timbered house across a cobbled courtyard and into the hushed interior. Discover dark wood panelling, huge fireplaces and a mix of furnishings inside.

Roses on the herbaceous border at Ightham Mote
Article
Article

The garden at Ightham Mote 

The garden is at its most colourful during the summer months. With vibrant colours, the buzz of wildlife and space to relax in the historic pleasure grounds, it’s time to make the most of nature.

A photograph of Charles Henry Robinson on a desk at Ightham Mote
Article
Article

The history and owners of Ightham Mote 

Uncover the 700-year history of this fascinating medieval house and estate. Discover all about the owners that shaped it over the centuries, their connections and lifestyles.

Visitors walking in the parkland with their dog at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
Article
Article

Visiting Ightham Mote with your dog 

Ightham Mote is a one pawprint rated place. With so much space to explore your four-legged friend won’t be bored on a day out at Ightham Mote. Find out where they can go and what facilities are available on your visit.

Visitors in the tearoom at East Riddlesden Hall, Yorkshire

Places to eat 

Discover some of the best cafés, restaurants and tea-rooms at the places in our care across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Find a place to eat near you, as well as special deals and allergen information.

People sat at tables enjoying eating and drinking inside the tea-room at Knole in Kent

Places to eat in Kent 

Discover some of the top places to eat in Kent, including idyllic picnic spots, a café with a rooftop terrace and a 1940s-themed tea-room.

Four bookshelves filled with books of the second-hand bookshop at Paycocke's House, Essex
Article
Article

Second-hand bookshops 

Pick up a book from a second-hand bookshop to keep or share. Every purchase will raise funds for conservation projects at the places in our care.

Summer shop display at Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire

Treat yourself 

Looking for the perfect gift or perhaps you're in need of some retail therapy? You can browse our full range via our online shop.