Chapel Down Winery

Chapel Down is England's largest wine producer by volume, based at Small Hythe near Tenterden in the Kent Weald. The estate has been producing wine since 1992 and now manages vineyards across several sites in the South East, but Small Hythe remains the visitor centre -- with a cellar door shop, tasting bar, restaurant and the main winery building where the sparkling wines are made using the traditional method. The vineyard itself covers a south-facing hillside and the vine rows are accessible on a free self-guided walk from May to October.

Guided tours run throughout the season and last around two hours, covering the vine cycle, the winery production process and a tutored tasting of five signature wines including the flagship sparkling wines. These tours are the only way to access the barrel cellar and riddling racks, and they book up quickly on Saturdays in July and August; advance booking through chapeldown.com is strongly advised. The cellar door tasting bar requires no booking and is a practical option for a shorter visit.

The Swan restaurant at the winery holds two AA Rosettes and uses produce from Kent farms, boats and local estates, making it a destination in its own right alongside the tour. Entry to the shop, restaurant and vineyard is free. Headcorn station is around 20 minutes by taxi; Ashford International is around 35 minutes and has frequent high-speed services from London St Pancras in approximately 37 minutes.