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A Tudor Christmas at Ightham Mote 2024
We invite you to celebrate the festive season with us at Ightham Mote with a magnificent Tudor Christmas. With a roaring fire, a Tudor feast and music of celebration there is lots for the whole family to discover and enjoy.
A Tudor Christmas
Saturday 23 November – Sunday 5 January
11am - 4pm (last entry 3.30pm)
(Closed 24 and 25 December)
With the days drawing in, and the temperatures beginning to fall, it's time to start looking ahead to the festive season. Immerse yourself in a Tudor Christmas at Ightham Mote, with music, lights and scents, inspired by the history of the property.
Explore the rich history of our 700-year-old moated manor house. With a roaring fire, late-night openings, traditional carols in our courtyard and crafting workshops, there’s plenty for the whole family to discover and enjoy. Marvel at our stunning hand-painted Tudor Chapel, fully adorned with the sights, scents and sounds of a festive Tudor mass.
Christmas Shopping Weekend
Saturday 23 November - Sunday 24 November
10:00am - 4:00pm
Join us for our opening weekend and see the house decorated for a Tudor feast fit for royalty. Green Matthews, renowned historical musicians, will transport you back in time with music from Tudor age. Enjoy Tudor songs, tunes, and carols played on a variety of weird and wonderful instruments, perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit—16th-century style!
While you're here, get a head start on your Christmas shopping in our fantastic new shop. Local creators will be joining us throughout the festive period, offering one-of-a-kind gifts, handcrafted items, and delicious seasonal treats.
Family Fun
Saturday 23 November - Sunday 5 January
10:00am - 4:00pm
Get ready for some family fun at Ightham Mote this Christmas because there's a mouse in the house! See if the little ones can spot all the Tudor Christmas mice hidden around the garden and house.
Let their imaginations run free as they rummage through our dressing-up box and transport themselves back to a time of kings, queens, knights, and ladies—perfect for capturing that festive Tudor snapshot.
Plus, join us on 8 & 14 December for Children's Tudor Christmas Crafts in the Squires Room, where the little ones can craft their own tudor decorations and festive cards with our Learning Team. A wonderful way to add a personal touch to your Christmas celebrations!
A Taste of Tudor Christmas
Sunday 15 December & Sunday 22 December
11:00am - 3:00pm
Go behind-the-scenes for a ‘Taste of Tudor Christmas’; a festive dive into the fascinating world of the Tudor household preparing for Christmas. Families can have fun discovering the traditions and customs of Christmases long ago including Tudor table manners and cooking demonstrations.
Author talk and book signing with Melita Thomas
Thursday 28 November
5pm - 6pm - Booking Essential, £25
Join us for an evening of fascinating history at Ightham Mote, beautifully adorned for a Tudor Christmas. Tudor historian and author Melita Thomas will delve into the intriguing family ties between Ightham Mote's Richard Clement and the influential Grey family, whose proximity to the throne for over a century was marked by both ambition and tragedy.
In this captivating talk, discover how, during the early Tudor period, ambition could bring immense power and wealth—or lead to a dramatic fall. The Grey family’s story truly has it all!
Don't miss this chance to experience history come to life in an unforgettable setting.
Craft Workshops
Wreath Making Workshop
Saturday 30 November - Booking Essential
Join us at Ightham Mote this festive season for a luxury wreath-making workshop with Flower & Glory, one of Sevenoaks' premier florists. Guided by expert florists, you'll craft a stunning, natural wreath using seasonal foliage and beautiful decorations to bring a touch of elegance to your home.
Enjoy a glass of prosecco as you create your masterpiece in the magical surroundings of Ightham Mote, all ready to take home and display with pride.
£75 per person
Ceramic Decoration Painting
Sunday 1 December - Booking Essential
Join us for a festive Potterarti Ceramic Decoration Painting Workshop at Ightham Mote!
Bauble Painting - £20
Start your day with our bauble-painting workshop, guided by the talented Potterarti team! Choose from an array of ceramic bauble shapes and create beautiful, personalised Christmas decorations—perfect for your tree or as a one-of-a-kind gift.
Plate Painting - £25
In the afternoon, join us for festive plate painting! Design and paint your own holiday-themed ceramic plate, ideal for displaying treats or holiday decor. Fun for all ages in the magical setting of Ightham Mote!
It’s a fun, creative activity for all ages in the magical setting of Ightham Mote.
Christmas Tree Book Art Workshop SOLD OUT
Saturday 7 December - Booking essential
Transform a book into a work of art in our fun Book Art workshop—perfect for making a beautiful table decoration, ornament or a unique gift.
No experience is needed. Our friendly experts will guide you through every step of creating your very own work of art. Meet fellow crafters and enjoy the festive atmosphere while learning a new skill.
£18 per person
Carols in the Courtyard
Get into the festive spirit once again this year as we welcome back our talented local groups and choirs to perform traditional carols in our courtyard throughout the holiday season. The exact dates and times for each performance are yet to be confirmed, but we are excited to offer a similar lineup of wonderful voices and festive cheer. Stay tuned for more details!
Plaxtol Singers
Sunday 1 December
12:00 pm - 1pm
Get into the festive spirit with the Plaxtol Singers as they fill the historic Ightham Mote Courtyard with a beautiful selection of Christmas carols and seasonal songs.
Allegri Singers
Thursday 5 December
2:00 pm - 3pm
The Allegri Singers are a small chamber choir based in Bromley, with all ages of singers, performing an adventurous repertoire to the highest standard, conducted by Stephen Anthony Brown.
Sevenoaks Rock Choir
Friday 6 December
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Warm up your vocal chords and join the Sevenoaks Rock Choir as they perform a mix of festive favourites in the iconic Ightham Mote Courtyard.
Show of Hands BSL Choir
Sunday 8 December
12pm - 1pm
This is a Choir who rather than use their voices to sing they use British Sign Language to interpret the lyrics of songs and tell a visual story.
Ightham Mote School Choir
Wednesday 11 December
1:40pm - 2:10pm
Join the Ightham School Choir as they bring the joy of the season to life with a heartwarming performance of Christmas carols in the Ightham Mote Courtyard.
Plaxtol Scholars
Friday 13 December
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Known for their minimal-vibrato style, the Plaxtol Scholars serve as a guest choir at renowned cathedrals like St Paul’s, Westminster Abbey, and Canterbury. Experience the enchantment of thier music in the Tudor Chapel, beautifully adorned for the season and illuminated after dark.
Tonbridge Rock Choir
Thursday 19 December - 1pm - 2pm
Warm up your vocal chords and join the Tonbridge Rock Choir as they perform a mix of festive favourites in the iconic Ightham Mote Courtyard.
A Capella Choir
Friday 20 December
5:30pm - 6:30pm
A Cappella is a small ladies’ ensemble from Edenbridge. During the past 20 years, they have produced a satisfying blend of harmony for upper voices, covering genres from classical to contemporary.
Musical Memories
Saturday 21 December
Get well and truly in the festive spirit as you listen to the Musical Memories Choir sing carols in the beautiful Courtyard at Ightham Mote.
Late Night Openings:
Friday 6, 13 & 20 December
4pm - 7:30pm, Normal admission fees apply. Booking is not required.
Join us for a late night opening and enjoy our festive Tudor Christmas decorations, full of twinkling lights, flickering candles, and greenery from our garden.
Please wrap up warm, bring a torch and enjoy Ightham Mote after dark. Last entry to the house will be 19:00. The site closes at 19:30.
Winter Dawn Walks:
Boxing Day and
New Years Day
Thursday 26 December and Wednesday 1 January
8:45am - 11:30am - £18 per person.
Walk off that Christmas Dinner or start the New Year off right with our Dawn Winter Walks.
Enjoy a filling English Breakfast followed by a bracing walk about the Ightham Mote Estate in all its winter glory… just don’t forget your scarfs and wellies!
This walk lasts around sixty to ninety minutes. Booking Essential
Ightham Mote Estate and Gardens this Christmas
Take a moment to escape the chaos of Christmas for a peaceful walk around the Ightham Mote estate this winter.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a family adventure or just you and your favourite four-legged friends, this Christmas is the perfect time to put your hats, scarfs and wellies to good use and explore over 500 acres of Ightham Mote’s estate.
The Ightham Mote estate has always been a place where dogs stretch their legs and enjoy themselves and now between November and February we welcome dogs on leads to explore our winter gardens with you. There’s no need for your pooch to be left out of your plans this Christmas!
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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.
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The estate at Ightham Mote
As the weather becomes warmer, wildlife, trees and wildflowers come alive across the Ightham Mote estate, while and birdsong fills the air.