1066 Wine Tour
3 Vineyards, 12 wines, Lunch, and some Medieval History!
Departs from London Bridge
from Ā£135 p/p
SEE THE HISTORY AND TASTE THE WINE
from Ā£125 p/p
Day Trips that Depart from Central London

Escape from London out to the beautiful countryside
We are combining the best of both worlds on this wine tour! Learn about English wine and some English history on our journey along the way.
- You will get to drink some delicious wine on the day
- Enjoy our entertaining, factual and fun wine tour guides!
- You will see some historical sites and quintessential English villages along the way
Discover our award winning English wine
On the day you will taste some award winning wines and learn about our young and growing wine industry.
Taste some fantastic sparkling wine made in the traditional champange method. We also make some beautiful still chardonnay, perfectly pink rosƩ and very luscious pinot noir.
Capture memories that will last a lifetime
Nothing better than to capture memories to share with friends and family. Our tours take you away to places that are memorable and most of our guests say its one of their best days out from London.
You will have time to shop and capture photos and to take in sites...and wine.
ENGLISH WINE, CASTLES AND HEROIC BATTLES
The end of Anglo Saxon Rule in 1066
This wine tour is inspired by the area known as 1066 Country; famous for the Battle of Hasting that took place on October 14th, 1066 between William the Conqueror from Normandy and Harold II (Godwinson) the self proclaimed last Anglo Saxon King of England.
The dark Duke of Normandy fought bravely on this fateful day in 1066 he struck down his opponent, King Harold, in battle with an arrow in his eye.

Vineyards in 1066 Country
The 1066 Wine Tour travels through the historic medieval realm of the powerful Anglo Saxon southern region known today as Sussex. On the day we will visit 3 vineyards on the tour.
- Sedlescomebe Organic Vineyard
- Oastbrook Estate
- Charles Palmer Vineyard or Oastbrook Vineyard

CHARLES PALMER VINEYARD AND WICKHAM MANOR

Our 1066 Wine Tour takes you to three award winning vineyards in the picturesque county of East Sussex, also known as 1066 Country with regards to the historic Battle of Hastings in the year 1066.
History, Background and Live Narrative
Your wine tour will depart promptly from central London, the English Grounds near London Bridge Station so please arrive for 8:45 to ensure a prompt departure at 9:00am. The day will be loaded information as your wine exploration journey will take about 1hr 40minutes to arrive at the first vineyard. Not to worry, we provide a live narrative on the way down that gives you more context about the English wine industry, plus youāll get to enjoy the scenic English countryside views along the way. Our English wine tour guide is an expert in the industry, who will tell you about the history of English wine since the Roman invasion, the significance of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and explain who are the movers and shakers in the English wine industry since the birth of modern English wine that started in the 1950s. You will learn about yield and production levels, what grape varietals are grown and even how much money it takes to start a vineyard in England.
The North Downs
Traveling out of London and across the chalk soil of the Kent North Downs we will make our way through beautiful English countryside. The North Downs is a well-known geological formation that is often sought after by many vineyards across England. The chalk soil is part of the same soil formations that go underneath the English Channel and come from France. We will discuss and highlight this as we travel through areas where you'll be able to see the chalk soil along the way.
Battle Abbey (photo opportunity)
We will make a short stop at the gatehouse in the famous village called Battle. This village was created after the historic Battle of Hastings in 1066. There is much debate about the actual location of the battlefield but we'll give you the inside scoop on the way. You'll have 20 minutes to get a photo in front of the gatehouse and have a look around the high street. We won't stay long as our first vineyard awaits us for our wine tasting!
Small Producer Vineyard Experience
Planted in 1978, Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard is the first vineyard on the day we will visit. Not only are they certified organic, but they are also bio-dynamic. We'll tell you all about bio-dynamics on the day and you will sample 5 wines in the tasting room that has recently been remodelled. We'll get a chance to meet the producers at the vineyard and learn about the Sedlescombe story.
Food at the The Hub in Bodiam ā A Country Lunch
Enjoy a delicious lunch made with local produce and love in this charming traditional English cafƩ outside the village of Bodiam. Recorded in the Doomsday Book in 1086 as part of the Hundred of Staple, Bodiam is steeped in history and its own local castle. For lunch you can choose from a selection of lunches all served with a glass of English Wine.
Small Producer Vineyard Experience
Planted in 2009, Woodchurch Estate is a small and unique vineyard where we will meet the producer to understand all the hard work that goes into starting a vineyard. Woodchurch specialises in sparkling wine where they have 9 acres of vineyard that produce a classic cuvƩe, a sparkling rosƩ, and a delicious blanc de blancs. They have also just released a still chardonnay. You will have a guided wine tasting with the producer and time for purchases.
Disclaimer: Let us set some expectations as this is still a wine tour and because we are going past some historical sites it makes sense to discuss or make a quick stop at places like Battle Abbey or Bodium Castle, where possible. Please do not expect to explore the grounds of a Castle on this tour as there are other tour providers (by the dozen) who offer this type of experience.
OUR 1066 WINE TOUR
Wine Tour Duration:
Approximately 8 hours from start to finish
Departure Point:
English Grounds, SE1 2HU (opposite London Bridge)
Itinerary
9.00am Collection London Bridge
- Learn about the History of English Wine
- Significance of the Battle of Hastings
- Industry insights, production levels
- Welcome Drink
10.30am Arrive in Battle (photo stop)
- Learn about the Battle of Hastings on the coach
- 20 minutes for photos of the gatehouse and explore of the high street
11.00am Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard
- Guided Tasting - 5 wines
- Learn about organic and bio-dynamic wines in England
12.30am Oastbrook Estate
- Guided Tasting - 4 wines
- Meet the producer and learn all about the estate, and view their amazing Hobbit House!
1.45pm Lunch - in Rye or Bodiam
- Delicious lunch of seasonal local fayre
- Served with a glass of wine
2.50pm Back on the bus for the next Vineyard
3.00pm Charles Palmer
- Guided Wine Tasting
- Charles Palmer - 16th Century Manor House once owned by William Penn
- Film set for several productions
4.30pm Back on the bus
6.15pm Arrive London Bridge (approximate timing depending on traffic)
All itineraries are subject to change
Where do you pick up from in London?
We pick up guests from central London at a bus stand in front of Southwark Crown Court. The pick up point is on the south side of the Thames River near London Bridge Station, which has both Tube and Overground trains. Departure Point: English Grounds, SE1 2HU (opposite London Bridge)
What is exactly included on this wine tour?
- Our fun and informative expert English Wine Tour Guide for the day
- A Welcome Drink on the coach
- Sample an array of award winning English Wines (12 wines)
- All tasting fees are included and paid for in advance to the vineyard as part of your ticket
- Guided Wine Tastings, sometimes by the Producer
- Delicious locally sourced lunch, served with a glass of English Wine
- Goodie Bag ā Souvenir Branded English Wine Tasting Tours Jute Bag
- Bag of English Crisps and a bottle of Water
- Return travel from London in luxury mini-coach or van (Mercedes)
- Air-conditioned for transport for your comfort
- Learn how to taste wine like a pro
Do you have vegetarian options for lunch?
Of course we do. We make all attempts to meet all dietary requirements, including vegetiarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and more. We use food partners, pubs or cafes, to provide excellent quality food for our guests. If you have booked a wine tour, you will receive a lunch order form by email for your food requirements. The lunch order form (web form) will give you a chance to state any dietary requirements or food allergies which we will pass onto the food provider. Keep in mind that most pubs or cafes will not guarantee a nut free restaurant.
How big are the groups on the wine tours?
Our group size can vary from week to week but our maximum public tour group is less that 26, but most of the time we average groups of 12 - 18 guests. Don't worry, everyone loves wine so its easy to make friends! Wine something that connects us all.
Does the weather affect the tour?
Weather is something that we love to discuss in England but it never stops us from "carrying on". We advise guests to dress appropriately and if necessary wear or bring jackets or jumpers, practical shoes, perhaps an umbrella if rain is forecasted. We do try and venture into the vineyard and are outdoors at times.
What vineyards will I visit on the day?
Vineyards are always subject to change from the stated schedule. All vineyards are booked in advance but occasionally last minute changes do happen. Also, due to customer feedback we have started visiting smaller vineyards where you will have a chance to possibly meet the producer. We may visit a larger producer also. Keep in mind that all English vineyards are small in relative "wine production" terms.
How sustainable are we as a wine tour operator?
We have a Green Tourism badge and by offering group travel in a coach we are more sustainable than a self-drive wine tourist. Because we travel in and out of London our coaches have to be extermely clean for emission standards as London now has an Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ). Most of the coaches we use are Euro4 or Euro6 standard! We hope to move to electric coaches in the near future but coaches are heavy things to move around at present and the technology needs to advance so that we can been even more green. Our souvenir jute bags are reusuable and we recycle as much as possible. We are always trying to find new ways to be more sustainable.
What type of wine will I try on the day?
If you only drink big bolshy reds...then English wine probably isn't for you! (;-) But if you have a place in your palette for award winning sparkling wine, delicate whites, dry rosƩ and pinot noir reds then you will love English wine. Our wine region is a "cool climate" which means we have higher acidity which makes us fantastic at making sparkling wine and predominantly we grow mostly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Nearly 70% of everything we produce is sparkling wine. England started its wine industry growing Germanic wines in the 1950s and some vineyards still have those grape varietals today so when possible we try to make sure that you get to try some of those wines which are of interest. We don't have restrictions on what grapes we can grow here so we are different than France or Italy (old world) wine regions and we encourage guests to try new wines and come explore with us.
Is this tour for experienced wine connoisseurs?
We cater to different levels of wine education on our tours. If you want to discuss English oenology or viticulture in more depth our tour guides can definately help to answer your questions. We try to keep the information on the day informative and presented at a level for all but please do ask questions if you want a more detailed answer. We love curious minds!
What type of coaches or vans to you use?
Our coaches are new or late models within a couple of years old. London emission standards requires us to continuously update our coaches. We partner with reputable coach companies on a contractual basis to keep a high standard of vehicle. All of our coaches have leather seats, full air-conditioning and heating, and we have reliable well-trained drivers. If we use a mini-van for groups of 8-people or less, then our vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz, full leather, with air-conditioning.
Wine tour guides or coach drivers?
We offer wine tour experiences verses a coach operator that offers wine tour journeys. Our wine tour guides are experts in English wine so we chaperone verses chauffeur and also provide the education and history regarding our wine industry.
READY TO BOOK YOUR WINE TOUR?
Are you looking for a specific date? Maybe you would like to see what tour is running on the date you want?
TOURS DEPART FROM CENTRAL LONDON
"We were planning a trip of just over a week to London and in searching for day excursions we came across wine tasting tours. We were intrigued as we had no prior knowledge of any wine industry in England. We had a lovely day trip out to wine country." - Emily (TripAdvisor)
