We’ve loved welcoming friends old and new to The Watch House over the past couple of months. In May 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.
In June, we added 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.
A chance to snap up the scenery
On July 23rd, 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’ll be planning more workshops in the autumn, by the way, so keep an eye on our Experiences page for more dates and information.
Photo credit - Siobhan Moloney
Photo credit - David Rolfe
Photo credit - @LillianSpibey
Friday Night Fizz
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 is taking place on Friday 16th August, followed by another one on Friday 13 September. 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 are £15 each, including your first glass of fizz. Advance booking is essential - click here to book your tickets.
Hope to see you soon!
