Sussex Exclusive Magazine Edition II 2022

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Black Dog Hill Named after a local legend (about a black dog that roams the hills), this family run vineyard within the Ditchling Beacon also has a cellar door in Ditchling village. They produce vintage Classic Cuvée using their own Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes combined with the talents of well-known winemaker, Dermot Sugrue. Their wines have a won a number of awards including IWSC Gold in 2015. You can arrange a tour by appointment, and they deliver locally for free. You can also taste and buy their wines at their brewery at Morehouse Farm in nearby Wivelsfield. Bee Tree Vineyard Just north of Ditchling at Wivelsfield Green, Bee Tree is an independent, family-run vineyard. They are all about ethically and sustainably grown fruit and are certified by the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain committee. They produce a mixture of sparkling and still wine and although they don’t offer tours as yet, you can buy from their shop. Ashdown Forest The next leg of your central Sussex wine tour takes you north to Ashdown Forest. This is an area of ancient and open heathland within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has views across Sussex and has played an important role in our Sussex life since prehistoric times. Today it covers 9.5 square miles and is ideal for short walks or longer hikes. It’s also famous for being the setting for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories and has its own windmill at Nutley. Nearby places to visit include the Bluebell Railway, Wakehurst Place and Standen House (a National Trust) property. There are a couple of fabulous local places to stay too which include Buxted Park Hotel and Ashdown Park Hotel and there is a visitor centre at Wych Cross, near Forest Row. Vineyards near Ashdown Forest Bluebell Vineyard Estate In between North Chailey and Danehill, Bluebell Vineyard Estates is home to “Hindleap” sparkling wines and “Ashdown” still wines. Once home to thousands of Large Whites and Landrace pigs, there are now over 130,000 vines growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Seyval Blanc. They offer three tours /tasting experiences namely: Wine Tastings, Public Vineyard and Winery Tours (described as a “true ‘grape to glass’ experience) and a Wine & Cheese Tour. Kingscote Estate and Vineyard A family-owned vineyard just to the north of Ashdown Forest, the 160-acre estate at Kingscote has 70 acres of vines and several different varieties of grape. They have 28 | sussexexclusive.com
een operating organically since 2019 and they produce still and sparkling wine. You can also stay in their beautifully refurbished coach house, and they offer a variety of tours and tastings as well as fishing and what they call their Bottomless Brunch: Sunday Brunch, with as many glasses of bubbles as your heart desires accompanied by a feast of local produce and homemade Brunch treats; sweet pastries, savoury baked goodies, Greek yogurt with fresh berries, honey and granola, homebaked banana bread and more. Soaked in history, the farmhouse itself was built in 1320 as an Iron Master’s house, while the new visitor centre is in an original 15th century Tithe barn. Downsview Vineyard To the east of Ashdown Forest, and just between Hadlow Down and Crowborough, Downsview was planted in 2010. They have a mixture of grapes including Dornfelder, Bacchus and Ortega, as well as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. They make their wines and some ciders in their purpose-built winery, powered by renewable energy. They offer a tour of their vineyard and winery, followed by a tasting during which you’ll learn about growing vines in England, and the winemaking process for both still and sparkling wine. They also have four bell tents in a little orchard next to the vines with a fire pit and a welcome glass of Downsview wine. Mayfield This last part of our central Sussex wine tour takes you to Mayfield, a picturesque and historic village only a stone’s throw from Royal Tunbridge Wells. Steeped in local legend and folklore about Mayfield, St Dunstan and the devil, Mayfield predates the Doomsday book. Dominating the town is the school which was once the site of a palace of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and it’s believed that Elizabeth I was entertained here. The village also has a smuggling past, and the Mayfield Gang (with their leader Gabriel Tomkins) were known as non-violent “owlers” (wool smugglers). The Middle House in the High Street has numerous tales of its own – from secret priest holes and prison cells to murders and suicides, and the Mayfield Gang are believed to have used a number of tunnels that run under the village one of which ends in the wine cellar of The Middle House. Other properties of note in the village include the 18th century Stone House, Yeoman’s (an early 15th century Wealden Hall), and 15th century Walnut Tree House. If you’re looking for things do, head to Royal Tunbridge Wells for shopping and theatres, or towards Argos Hill and the town’s windmill for a hearty walk. Mayfield also holds its own music and arts festival each spring. Nearby, Heathfield has a spring “Cuckoo” fair, as well as a sizeable agricultural show in May and a Cuckoo cycling trail. For places to stay, The Middle House in the village itself is a charismatic central point or for something different, try the luxurious and utterly beautiful tree house at Heavenly Hoots just outside the village. Vineyards near Mayfield Fox and Fox Just outside Mayfield, Fox and Fox is another family vineyard where they have been producing wine since 2009. They grow Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot gris. Their emphasis is on minimal intervention in the vineyard and light manipulation in the winery with a “desire to create interesting and delicious cuvées for wine lovers and occasional drinkers alike”. They’ve won multiple awards for their wines, and although they don’t offer tours yet, you can buy online. Tickerage This is perhaps one of the smallest vineyards in Sussex with just five acres. Situated in Blackboys just outside Uckfield, they now have a cellar door and are also offering monthly tours, with tasting of 2 sparkling and 1 still wine. They also offer bespoke private tours with a selection of deli style platters and homemade scones to accompany their range. Hollow Lane Vineyard A small family run vineyard, near Uckfield, the first vines were planted here in 2011. They now have 5600 vines and produce sparkling wine at their onsite winery. They also now have a wine tasting area and host vineyard tours and wine tasting, and you can also order a picnic. 29
Page 1: Issue 2 2022 Sussex Wines Tours & T
Page 4 and 5: Contents 9 Steyning Arts Meet some
Page 6 and 7: Just click here to subscribe It’s
Page 8 and 9: A Charity Concert Sat 24 Sept 2pm &
Page 10 and 11: Amanda Duke Ten years ago, I re-est
Page 12 and 13: 12 | sussexexclusive.com
Page 14 and 15: Ghools & Ghosties, & Long-Leggity B
Page 16 and 17: Inheritance Tax Agricultural Proper
Page 18 and 19: 2 1 3 4 Summer Style Donna Camera s
Page 20 and 21: 1st Sarah Russell, Shoreham Beach 2
Page 22 and 23: Our judge’s feedback Sarah Russel
Page 24 and 25: Tracy Voller, Tulips Becca Bridges.
Page 26 and 27: Central Sussex Wine Tour Experience
Page 30 and 31: GARDENING © Selina Lake and Sussie
Page 32 and 33: Get thee back to FRANCE Tales of a
Page 38 and 39: Chicken Cordon Bleu Vanessa Jamieso
Page 40 and 41: The Best of Sussex to Drink with a
Page 42 and 43: south east England or lemons from S
Page 44 and 45: FOOD The Sussex Foodie A quick sear
Page 46 and 47: FOOD Sussex producers Balcombe Dair
Page 48 and 49: Enjoy warm summer evenings and grea
Page 50 and 51: Slow cooked Lamb Shoulder with A Ga
Page 52 and 53: Spotlight on Lewes Explore this his
Page 54 and 55: Lewes life Lewes continues to be a
Page 56 and 57: In the Diary As the summer months u
Page 58 and 59: Steampunk at Amberley Museum 13th t
Page 60 and 61: Feng Shui Your Garden Feng Shui Con
Page 62 and 63: A New Era for Estate Agency And Why
Page 64 and 65: HEALTH Ready to Wage a War? Let go
Page 66 and 67: HEALTH Our kids watch what we do fa
Page 68 and 69: HEALTH Studies have shown that peop
Page 70 and 71: Getting Motivated to Improve Your P
Page 72 and 73: A Mini Break in Marrakesh Discover
Page 74 and 75: ...originally designed to house a h
Page 76 and 77: Horsham Speakers Club Does public s
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Award winning sparkling wine from E
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