I have lived on Dern Lane for most of my life, as I look around now I realise that there are as many campsites and vineyards now as there were dairy farms.
It is likely that wine has been produced in Sussex for around 2,000 years and was produced either by the late Iron Age tribes such as the Belgae and Regni or by the Romans who governed what was to become Sussex, vineyards in England produced significant amounts of wine in the 12th and early 13th centuries, but this came to an end in the 13th and 14th centuries as the Medieval Warm Period ending, the Black Death reduced the workforce and wine was increasingly imported from Gascony. By 1275 the vineyard at Battle Abbey had ceased grape production.
In 2022, Sussex wine gained Protected Designation of Origin status in the European Union‘s Geographic Indication scheme and in 2023 wine made in Sussex accounted for 28% of the total wine produced in the United Kingdom, with 138 vineyards, Sussex produces more wine than any other county in the UK.
Sussex’s sparkling wine in particular has drawn comparisons with Champagne and is sometimes rated as some of the best in the world.
There are numerous other vineyards throughout the county on various soils ranging from chalky soils such as Rathfinny in Alfriston, to clay and silt over sandstone in the Rother Valley such as Oastbrook Estate in Bodiam.
Many of these vineyards offer lasting tours and some have fabulous restaurants with beautiful views – here is a list of the top Sussex vineyards https://sussexmodern.org.uk/wine/sussex-vineyards/
This gem is only a walk away https://hiddenspring.co.uk/
So you can book up to camp or glamp and then wander home to your campfire carrying your lovely bottle of ssusex sparkling!
