Did you know that England’s world-class wine region, the Sussex Winelands, can be reached within an hour of London?
Leave the city behind and unwin(e)d in the Sussex countryside on a day trip, or sip and stay with a vineyard mini break.
Trade the town for terroir with these Sussex vineyards and tours that are easy to reach from London.
English Wine Tasting & Tours
Run by husband-and-wife team Nicola and Justin, English Wine Tasting & Tours works with local vineyards to create vinous day trips and overnighters to Sussex vineyards from London.
Public tours leave London Bridge in the morning and their private bus will take you, along with a small group of fellow wine-lovers, to visit several vineyards in a day. The English Wine Cellar Door Tour gives you an insight into the English Wine industry by visiting three contrasting vineyards, including the UK's largest organic wine producer: Sussex’s Sedlescombe Organic.
There’s also the option to gather your friends and have an organised private tour. Get picked up from your chosen location in London (or elsewhere in South East England) and be whisked away to Sussex for your vineyard voyage with an itinerary tailored to your preferences.
Sussex vineyards to visit by train from London
Prefer to travel under your own steam? Try these Sussex Vineyards that can easily be reached by rail from London.
Bluebell Vineyard
Take a one-hour direct train to East Grinstead from London Victoria, where the Bluebell Railway begins.
Sussex’s heritage railway rolls through scenic Sussex countryside dotted with vineyards. Travel on the Bluebell Railway to its final station – Sheffield Park (30 minutes from East Grinstead) – to visit the Bluebell Vineyard.
From Sheffield Park, it’s a short taxi ride or a rewarding two-mile hike across pretty fields and woodland to the Bluebell Vineyard.
As the names of both the railway and vineyard suggest, this walk is particularly lovely in the spring when bluebells garnish the woodland floor with their indigo hues.
Artelium Wine Estate
Catch a train to Plumpton railway station, which is on the main line from London Victoria (55 minutes), and it’s a 30-minute walk through the South Downs fields to the Artelium Wine Estate.
This boutique vineyard has a creative spirit, connecting the crafts of winemaking and contemporary art and drawing upon its South Downs landscape as a canvas for showcasing contemporary art, a sculpture garden, and cultural events.
Wildwood Vineyard
The small woodland Wildwood Vineyard is a short 12-minute walk from Eridge Railway Station, which is less than an hour by direct train from London Bridge.
Eridge Station is also connected directly to Tunbridge Wells via the Spa Valley Railway, and on selected days, Wildwood Vineyard organises train and vineyard excursions for visitors to arrive at the vineyard on a heritage steam or diesel train.
Rathfinny Wine Estate
A 10-minute taxi ride from Berwick Station (1 hour 15 minutes direct train from London Victoria), Rathfinny Wine Estate offers a quintessentially English vineyard visit.
The Estate has earned a reputation as one of England's finest wine destinations, with a Michelin-recommended Tasting Room Restaurant. There’s also the option to stay overnight at Rathfinny’s Flint Barns B&B housed in the Estate’s beautifully restored farm buildings.
Mousehall Distillery & Winery
Mousehall is a family-run boutique vineyard and distillery comprising Tidebrook Wines and Mousehall Spirits on an 11th-century country estate in a natural valley within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The winery can be reached by direct train from London Charing Cross to Wadhurst (1 hour). From Wadhurst station, it’s a 10-minute taxi ride to Mousehall Vineyard.
To stay overnight, Mousehall Oast is an 18th-century traditional oast house that sleeps six.
Sussex Winelands: the Rother Wine Triangle
Take in several Sussex vineyards in one visit by following a wine trail.
The Sussex Winelands’ Rother Wine Triangle comprises six outstanding Sussex vineyards – Charles Palmer Vineyards, Tillingham Estate Vineyard, Oxney Organic, Oastbrook Estate Vineyard, Sedlescombe, and Mountfield Winery – all within a short distance of each other, making it an accessible and must-visit destination for wine lovers.
All of the vineyards in the Rother Valley Wine Triangle also have their own accommodation, so you can savour your visit over several days.
The Rother Valley Wine Triangle is connected directly to Central London via several stations: Rye (1 hour 6 minutes from London St Pancras), Hastings (1 hour 30 minutes from London St Pancras), and Robertsbridge (50 minutes from London Victoria).
