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

A new, flexible visitor centre and shop, relocated car park, and restored Walled Garden enhance the National Trust's 208ha estate, home to a Grade I listed moated manor house. Sustainable features include an air source heat pump, passive ventilation, and high-performance building fabric.

Ightham Mote, is a Grade I listed moated manor house dating back to the 14^th century, set within a 208ha estate in Kent. Surrounded by lakes and woodland the site is managed by the National Trust.

The project aimed to enhance visitor experience by relocating the main car park away from the historic walled garden, expanding overflow facilities, and providing a new reception centre and shop to accommodate growing visitor numbers. A key component of the project involved restoring the historic walled garden to its original purpose.

With a design prioritising flexibility to meet future operational needs, Skelly and Couch provided an environmentally sensitive M&E design for the site through RIBA stage 4.

The visitor centre and shop integrate several passive design measures, enhancing sustainability and comfort. A clerestory maximises natural daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting, while high-performance building fabric and natural ventilation optimise energy efficiency. Hempcrete walls provide acoustic insulation, thermal regulation, and moisture buffering, further improving the building’s performance.

Sustainable heating is supplied by an air-source heat pump, with energy-efficiency, demand-controlled services and LED lighting further reducing consumption. Low-flow water fittings were also installed to minimise water usage across the site.

This project successfully enhances the visitor experience at Ightham Mote by creating sustainable, adaptable facilities that support the long-term preservation of this historic estate.