Two vineyards near Horsham named 'most beautiful' in the UK

They are Nyetimber at West Chiltington and Leonardslee at Lower Beeding.

New analysis has found them among the country’s most picturesque vineyards to visit.

Nyetimber came in at number five of the UK’s top 10 and Leonardslee came ninth.

The first vines at Nyetimber were planted in 1988 with owner Eric Heerema taking over the estate in 2006. Nyetimber wines have since gone on to achieve global acclaim, winning international awards.

Leonardslee vineyard sits among Grade I listed gardens and stretches across four acres, growing Pinot Noir and Pinotage grapes.

The vineyard’s first harvest took place in autumn 2020 with the first release of English wine set for 2023.

Denbies wine estate near Dorking was rated in fourth place in the study by South Western Railway.

Viticulture in the UK is blossoming as the cultivation and harvesting of grapes grows year on year.

The latest figures show around 79,128 hectolitres – one hectolitre is equivalent to one hundred litres – of wine were produced in the UK, that’s a 921 per cent increase since 2012.

To find the most beautiful vineyards of the bunch, South Western Railway analysed 268 visitable vineyards against Instagram hashtags, the number of 5-star TripAdvisor reviews and the number of times ‘beautiful’, ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous’ were mentioned in reviews.

In top place was Llanerch Vineyard in Pontyclun, Wales.

Holmfirth Vineyard in West Yorkshire was the only location in the north to make the top 10.

Calli Ward, head of marketing at South Western Railway said: “It’s fantastic to see we have such a beautiful array of wine estates and vineyards to explore right here in the UK.

“We are particularly proud of the wonderful options on our doorstep in the southwest.

“Whether there’s one right around the corner, or you’re travelling further afield, the vineyards are especially impressive to visit between spring and autumn, as the vines and grapes grow throughout these seasons.

"While you’re there you can try the wines produced on site, many of which are award-winning, go on a tour, or even stay overnight, and really get a taste of what the UK has to offer.”

See https://www.southwesternrailway.com/where-next/things-to-do/most-beautiful-vineyards

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