High Clandon Estate Vineyard isn’t just somewhere to taste excellent English sparkling wine. It’s also a gorgeous place to stroll through a beautiful meadow and a Japanese garden, as well as seeing some stunning art and far-reaching views of the London skyline.
I visited during the annual High Clandon Art & Sculpture in the Vineyard fortnight. In 2025, it took place from 29 June to 13 July and is held during a similar period each year. But there is art on show at High Clandon all year round, both outdoors and in the Glass Barn, which is also available for events.
High Clandon Estate Vineyard was founded in 2004 by Sibylla and Bruce Tindale. They are still the owners and were very much in evidence, welcoming visitors and pouring their Cerulean Cuvée, which was available to buy by the glass, as well as in bottles. The Cerulean is High Clandon’s 2025 vintage and was created using Classic Method (Méthode Champenoise) with fruit harvested in October 2020.
My friend and I sat in the garden to enjoy our fizz and the views before taking a walk around the meadow where stunning sculptures were set amongst wild flowers and had beautiful butterflies flitting around them.
Beyond the meadow are the vines, which were full of leaves and fruit starting to ripen. Across in the distance are views of London. On the day we visited, it was a bit too cloudy to make out the landmarks, but you could see the potential.
Inside the Glass Barn, there were other artworks on display, while on the other side of it was a sunken garden with a fabulous sculpture of an unusual musical trio. Just beyond that is the Japanese Garden, complete with a traditional red-painted bridge and then the Potager, aka the kitchen garden.
After exploring, we headed back to the garden overlooking the meadow, where there was tea and cakes for sale. During the Art & Sculpture fortnight, one day supports the National Garden Scheme, which is how we heard about High Clandon. So, on that day, the entry fee went to the scheme while the proceeds from the tea and cakes went to Cherry Trees, a local charity that supports children with disabilities. On other days, the entry fee goes to Cherry Trees.
Outside of that fortnight, there are a variety of other events and open days when you can book a tour and a tasting. Check the High Clandon website for details.
For posts about other places to visit in the UK, check the UK section of my blog. And visit the Arts section for posts about art and cultural activities.