British Travel Journal | Summer 2020
As we went to print with our last issue never could we have imagined a world in which travel would be completely stopped in its tracks. Never again will we take for granted our freedom to visit our magnificent cityscapes, captivating coastlines and peaceful countryside. It has been a difficult year for the hospitality and travel sector, but as this issue of British Travel Journal shows many are beginning to reopen, delighted to welcome back visitors and guests once more. We speak to these resilient hoteliers, destination managers, and others in the UK tourism industry about how they have responded to COVID-19. Our Cultural Agenda takes on a new direction, exchanging theatre performances for outdoor art, sculptures and natural wonders. And, in a time when remote locations are being sought after, all you need to know about wild (and nearly wild) camping is covered in our Sustainable Travel series. If camping isn’t for you, help is at hand to find the perfect holiday home in our 10 of the Best Self-Catering Properties. If you’re dreaming of strolls along the shore, fresh sea air and gently lapping waves, then you will love our coastal specials; Revival of the Beach Hut, England’s Coast, Wild Swimming and Secret Islands. Enjoy a taste of Cornwall in our Interview with Rick Stein before heading to the beach workshop of wooden bellyboards in our Meet the Maker: Wave Rider article with Dick Pearce. Finally, thank you to all our subscribers for your support, keeping our spirits high with words of encouragement and understanding the unusual delay in receiving this issue. Together we continued to dream of the extraordinary places we can explore, staying inspired with online and digital features, and hopefully by the time of reading this issue our next great adventures will have become reality.Travel safely, and together we will continue to support our wonderful tourism industry.
As we went to print with our last issue never could we have imagined a world in which travel would be completely stopped in its tracks. Never again will we take for granted our freedom to visit our magnificent cityscapes, captivating coastlines and peaceful countryside. It has been a difficult year for the hospitality and travel sector, but as this issue of British Travel Journal shows many are beginning to reopen, delighted to welcome back visitors and guests once more. We speak to these resilient hoteliers, destination managers, and others in the UK tourism industry about how they have responded to COVID-19. Our Cultural Agenda takes on a new direction, exchanging theatre performances for outdoor art, sculptures and natural wonders. And, in a time when remote locations are being sought after, all you need to know about wild (and nearly wild) camping is covered in our Sustainable Travel series. If camping isn’t for you, help is at hand to find the perfect holiday home in our 10 of the Best Self-Catering Properties. If you’re dreaming of strolls along the shore, fresh sea air and gently lapping waves, then you will love our coastal specials; Revival of the Beach Hut, England’s Coast, Wild Swimming and Secret Islands. Enjoy a taste of Cornwall in our Interview with Rick Stein before heading to the beach workshop of wooden bellyboards in our Meet the Maker: Wave Rider article with Dick Pearce. Finally, thank you to all our subscribers for your support, keeping our spirits high with words of encouragement and understanding the unusual delay in receiving this issue. Together we continued to dream of the extraordinary places we can explore, staying inspired with online and digital features, and hopefully by the time of reading this issue our next great adventures will have become reality.Travel safely, and together we will continue to support our wonderful tourism industry.
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1RATHFINNY<br />
WINE ESTATE<br />
ALFRISTON, SUSSEX<br />
In 2010 Mark and Sarah Driver<br />
bought Rathfinny Farm with the<br />
specific intention of growing<br />
grapes for sparkling wine.<br />
Currently the couple have 380,000<br />
vines growing on 227 acres of land<br />
and by 2025 they are aiming for 350<br />
acres. If all goes to plan, Rathfinny<br />
will soon be producing 80,000 cases<br />
of sparkling wine a year, making it<br />
one of England’s most significant<br />
wine producers. Mark’s ambition is<br />
that “In twenty years’ time you will<br />
walk into a bar or restaurant in New<br />
York or Beijing and you’ll be asked,<br />
‘would you like a glass of Champagne<br />
or a delicious glass of Sussex? I can<br />
recommend the Rathfinny, sir.’”<br />
However Rathfinny also produces<br />
still wines, using the same three<br />
grapes: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and<br />
Chardonnay. These are marketed<br />
under the Cradle Valley label. There<br />
is a blended Cradle Valley White and<br />
a Cradle Valley Rosé which is made<br />
solely from Pinot Noir grapes. Both<br />
still wines are made to the same high<br />
standard. The soil at Rathfinny<br />
helps. The vineyard lies on a<br />
band of well-drained chalk that<br />
forms the Paris Basin, running<br />
up through northern France,<br />
crossing through the Champagne<br />
region and into southern England,<br />
forming the South Downs.<br />
According to Cameron Roucher,<br />
estate manager at Rathfinny (who<br />
moved from New Zealand to be<br />
part of the project), “You couldn’t<br />
really ask for a better location than<br />
this for growing grapes.”<br />
rathfinnyestate.com<br />
Where to stay<br />
Ockenden Manor<br />
Ockenden Manor is very much a<br />
wine-lovers hotel. It was built in several<br />
stages from Tudor times to the present<br />
day. The hotel offers a number of<br />
Wine Safari packages. Visits to six<br />
local vineyards can be arranged by<br />
the concierge, including to nearby<br />
Rathfinny and Bolney.<br />
hshotels.co.uk/ockenden-manor<br />
WE LOVE<br />
THE CRADLE<br />
VALLEY<br />
The Cradle Valley White is a light<br />
and crispy blend of Pinot Gris and<br />
Pinot Blanc (and just occasionally<br />
Chardonnay) and sells for £21.<br />
YOU MIGHT ALSO<br />
ENJOY...The Bolney Estate<br />
just four miles west of Ockenden<br />
Manor produces a Pinot Noir<br />
that is currently the best-selling<br />
English red. Its Pinot Gris is also<br />
excellent. In <strong>2020</strong> the vineyard is<br />
opening a new restaurant in its<br />
south-facing vineyard.<br />
bolneywineestate.com<br />
30 <strong>British</strong><strong>Travel</strong><strong>Journal</strong>.com
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