uk vineyard garden planted and open

We’ve just completed the garden at the award-winning Ridgeview Wine Estate in Ditchling, East Sussex, where they have built a new tasting and dining space called the Rows & Vine. The restaurant offers an all-weather total wine experience from vine to glass in a spectacular setting overlooking the vineyard’s Chardonnay vines with a view of the South Downs beyond.

The gardens and restaurant are located at the heart of the vineyard. Located in the South Downs National Park, biodiversity and sustainability were key to the design as well as anchoring the building and gardens in the glorious setting.

Andy says:

“We have worked closely with Ridgeview and the South Downs National Park to design a garden which has biodiversity at its core. Working in this spectacular setting at Ridgeview made it easy for us in so many ways. Making a garden looking out onto the vines and the South Downs beyond inspired a planting scheme drawn from the locally native wildflowers, grasses and ferns while the terraces and walling relies on vernacular materials including flint, clay bricks and limestone gravels.”

The garden itself surrounds a series of terraces, with structural planting comprising native species and cultivated varieties of native species including clipped yew, beech and multi-stem hawthorn trees all of which are found in the local landscape. Grasses and perennials provide seasonal interest so that the garden changes throughout the year. The planting provides a significant nett gain in biodiversity and provision of pollen throughout the year. We hope it will become an important richly diverse habitat for invertebrates and vertebrates.

Tamara Roberts, Ridgeview’s second-generation CEO states: “Tourism is an exciting development for English Wine. With demand at an all-time high, our new on-site hospitality venue is a destination that can welcome visitors and guests throughout the year, overlooking the most stunning of English views. Our vision is for The Rows & Vine to champion locally grown seasonal Sussex food, paired with our portfolio of exceptional sparkling wines, the very best that our gorgeous country and country undoubtedly produces.”

Image copyright: Xavier Buendia Photography