A vineyard experience at Chilworth Manor means a guided walk through the vines, a tasting of our sparkling wines and long views across the Surrey Hills. Depending on which you choose, these can be followed by afternoon tea, a seated dinner or an early evening glass of fizz at The Watch House.
Tour and Tastings: walking the vines with a glass in hand
We’ve loved welcoming friends old and new to The Watch House over the past couple of months. In May of 2024 we kicked everything off with our first Tour & Tasting, where guests had the chance to enjoy our vines, wine and views, and to hear about Chilworth and the vineyard. It was great to be able to share the story of our estate from its earliest incarnation as a Saxon Manor, its business interests in the Gunpowder Mills of the 17th century and the subsequent tenure of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, all the way through to the charitable tradition established by Sir Lionel and Lady Heald that we’re working to continue today.
Sparkling Afternoon Tea at The Watch House
June 2024 brought about the addition of Sparkling Afternoon Tea to our menu of Experiences, which seemed to go equally well. Everyone enjoyed the array of sandwiches, scones, cakes and macaroons – and of course our sparkling wines.
We also held our first Wine Festival where we welcomed over 500 people to enjoy our wines, great food and live music.
Workshops and Wine: photography among the vines
In late July, we held the first of our Workshops & Wine. Run by professional photographer Lillian Spibey, attendees were taught how to use light and the rules of composition to capture stunning images of our vines and the surrounding scenery. It made us realise just how lucky we are to live in such beautiful surroundings. We have run more workshops since, and current dates and information are on our Experiences page.
Photo credit - Siobhan Moloney
Photo credit - David Rolfe
Photo credit - @LillianSpibey
Friday Night Fizz: an enjoyable start to the weekend
The latest addition to the calendar is Friday Night Fizz – which (as the name suggests!) is the perfect way to kickstart your weekend. The first one took place in August 2024, with a second the following month. Friday Night Fizz now runs right through the season, and current dates are listed in our latest experiences round-up and on the Friday Night Fizz page. Come and enjoy the early evening views with a glass of fizz (or still wine if you’d rather) and take yourself on the self-guided Winston’s Walk around the vineyard. We’ll have pizza available from Club Pizza so you can buy some food, plus we’ll have music on in the background to create the perfect end-of-the-week atmosphere. Tickets include your first glass of fizz, with current prices and dates on the Friday Night Fizz page. Advance booking is essential.
What to expect on a vineyard experience:
· Allow around 2 hours for a tour and tasting, including a walk through the vines and a seated tasting at The Watch House.
· Groups are usually sized between 2-5 people, so there is time to ask questions.
· You will taste 3 of our sparkling wines, alongside our still wine to start.
· The walk is over grass and gentle slopes, so flat but sturdy shoes are a good idea.
· The tasting is under cover at The Watch House, so a shower will not spoil the visit.
· Late spring through to harvest in late September shows the vines at their very best.
Hope to see you soon!
