Monday 19th May 2025

Monday 19^th May

SHE SAID:

Mum, Geoff & I are off on a 3-day mini holiday to the Canterbury area, in Kent. Mum lived in Canterbury & Whitstable area as a young teenager & was curious to have a look around again. I don’t think & I have been to Canterbury, & Geoff certainly hasn’t.

We stopped at Ightham Mote country manor, a National Trust property, for morning tea & a look around. Geoff & I are National Trust members in Australia which gives us free entry to all National Trust properties in Great Britain.

The house dates from the 1320’s, with lots of additions over the centuries, but is the most intact medieval moated manor house in England. It was a lovely old place, set in nice gardens, with plenty to look at.

Leaving the house, we continued east for the hotel, stopping not too much further on in Ightham Village for lunch at the George & Dragon Inn, which was circa 1525, a lovely old coaching house that is reportedly said to have been visited by Queen Elizabeth I & where Guy Fawkes plotted the bombing of the Houses of Parliament!

We arrived at the roadside Travelodge between Canterbury & Whitstable around 3.45pm. A very basic motel, but adequate for us. Luckily, we had a nice lunch as all that is on offer here is the service station food!

HE SAID:

Ightham Mote, pronounced Item Moat, was a nice place. More a fortified manor house than a castle, it was an interesting time there. Varena was very pleased just before we left as there was an orchid growing in the house lawns that she had not seen before. Very lucky.

The short walk to the nearby servo produced a bottle of plonk and some Gregg’s sausage rolls! I was fine with that for dinner.