Igththam Mote is approached down a steep, thickly wooded path. Along the way, little of the 14th century moated manor house, with its gardens, water features, orchards,lake and woodland walks is evident.
The house was donated to the National Trust by American businessman Charles Henry Robinson, who bought it in 1953. According to a story related by a guide during a tour of the house, Robinson had admired Ightham Mote on a cycling tour in the area. On a later visit, he heard that it was for sale and bought it. Subsequently, while sailing to New York on the Queen Mary, he had second thoughts about the purchase, tried to withdraw his bid but was unable to.
In the end, he devoted a great deal of his resources to the house and lived there for more than forty years. His personal library is one of the many rooms, spanning 650 years of occupation, that is open to the public.