Ightham Mote 

New visitor reception, retail shop and landscape works for the National Trust

Reed Watts worked with Landscape Architects Colvin & Moggridge to design this new visitor reception, retail shop and associated landscape works for the National Trust’s Ightham Mote in Kent, a Grade 1 listed building and Scheduled Monument.

The new building and entrance, set within an historic walled garden, provides a generous and flexible space for visitors to orientate themselves before approaching the house and the wider estate. The new building sits sensitively in the garden landscape so as to compliment the materials and textures of the site.

Contrasting the rich combination and arrangement of materials of the Mansion, the new structure is characterised by a simple palette of natural materials–including hempcrete, lime and timber–whilst incorporating subtle areas of craft and delight.

The hempcrete blocks, supplied by The Hemp Block Company, are 400mm thick and an ultra-low carbon alternative to traditional wall materials. Externally, the blocks are clad in sweet chestnut from locally coppiced timber and lime render while internally, we have applied a light coat of limewash to unify their appearance. Along with the use of renewable materials, an air source heat pump, passive ventilation and good levels of insulation ensure that the building is as sustainable as possible.

  1. Sector

    Culture, Work / Play

  2. Location

    Sevenoaks, Kent

  3. Client

    The National Trust

  4. Status

    Completed 2024

  5. Collaborators

    Colvin & Moggridge, WW Martin

  6. Photos

    Fred Howarth & Reed Watts

  7. Whole Life Carbon Assessment

    497 kg CO2/e/m2

One important aim of this project was to relocate parking further away from the heritage asset, freeing up the space that was previously a Walled Garden in centuries past, to enable the new building and restored Walled Garden to sit side by side in harmony, providing a fascinating new offer to our visitors, fully integrated with our enhanced retail and catering offers. The success of this aspect of the project has exceeded our expectations and is testament to the vision of the architects in understanding our needs and finding ways to implement them.

From the outset we have described this project as unlocking the future of Ightham Mote and now the future has arrived, we couldn’t be more pleased with how it looks and with the positive local and visitor feedback to date.

Bernadette Gillow, General Manager for Ightham Mote and North Kent Portfolio

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