Plan your Sussex Spring Getaway

spring has sprung!

With wildlife waking up and flowers starting to blossom, it’s a beautiful time of year for hitting the footpaths and getting some fresh air into your lungs. Panoramic views of the South Downs National Park are the reward for all ramblers in inland West Sussex. Rolling chalk hills provide tough terrain for both legs and roots, but there are leisurely walks and picnic spots aplenty too. Walks in West Sussex are a great way to see local wildlife, and we’ve highlighted spots where, if you’re lucky, you can see newts, hares and wild birds. With over 3,300km of rights of way, the South Downs National Park offers a landscape as diverse as it is breath-taking. Have a browse of some of our favourite routes here.

For those who prefer two wheels, Marmalade biking tours are a fantastic way to explore the South Downs with local experts. Indulge with a well-deserved lunch at Chalk with the Ride & Dine option. Marmalade will create a tailored mountain bike route around Wiston Estate with one of their professional local guides – the bike can be electric or conventional.

vineyard tour & tasting

Summer vineyard tours are back! For a number of evenings throughout the Spring/ summer we will run our special Sundowner Vineyard Safari Tour and Tasting, followed by a seasonal set five course dinner at Chalk. Discover where our wine is made, then hop into the winery trailer and head up and over the hills to our original vineyard. Here we will explore the secluded spot in the early evening and enjoy an alfresco tasting. As the sun sets, head back to Chalk for a delicious meal from the Estate Menu.

Looking for something a bit more active? Join us on the Vineyard Explorer Tour & lunch for a guided walking tour of our beautiful vineyards hidden away in the South Downs, which incorporates a tasting of our award-winning English Sparkling wines and a picnic lunch in the vineyard.

more tours

Sussex has multiple wineries to explore, you can see some of them here on the South East Wine Visitors Guide. We run regular Tour & Tastings from Wednesday – Sunday. Our Wiston Estate Tour & Tasting scooped the Gold Medal for Experience of the Year at the 2023/24 Beautiful South Awards! Guests will be taken through the story of the estate and learn about the vineyards. Then you will walk through the winery taking in the traditional Champagne coquard press, tank and barrel halls and finish up with a tutored tasting of a selection of our award-winning English Sparkling Wines in the new tasting room

If you are looking for something a little different this summer and have a sweet tooth for honey, get an introduction into the world of bee keeping. New to the Wiston Estate tour programme, this summer we are introducing the Wiston Bee Bulter Tour. Zip into your bee suit and see how our local beekeeper manages the hives in our vineyard and cares for the bees. Learn about the honey making process and sample honey made on the estate.

take a trip to the seaside

Just a 20 minute drive from Wiston Estate is Worthing beach. As well as a beautiful pier, Worthing has a great beach, with a 5 mile long promenade. Take a stroll down the beach. If you head West towards Goring, you’ll reach the Bluebird Café, with seating indoors and out, this is the perfect stop for refreshments and is dog-friendly!

Why not cycle along the seafront all the way to Brighton! Visit The Royal Pavilion is an exotic palace in the centre of Brighton with a colourful history. Built as a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV, this historic house mixes Regency grandeur with the visual style of India and China.

Looking for spectacular views? Travel 138 metres high in the modern glass viewing pod on the Brighton i360 to enjoy 360° views of the sea, South Downs, and the buzz of the city below.

TASTE THE LOCAL PRODUCE

At Chalk Restaurant we aim to create dishes that express the nature, heritage, and purpose of the land we share. On Friday and Saturday evenings we will be serving up our ‘Estate Menu’ – see sample here. This will be a set menu of five courses which is built to showcase the produce grown, reared, farmed and foraged on Wiston Estate and from the South Coast. The team at Chalk have been working with local farmers and the estate managers to source the produce for this menu. The offering will change regularly with the seasonal availability of the ingredients. Book here to taste for yourself.

As the temperature starts to heat up, unwind in our beautiful Chalk courtyard with a glass of Wiston Estate award-winning sparkling wine and a cheese platter, or taste our A La Carte menu which runs Wednesday – Sunday.

other local attractions

Just down the road from Wiston, is Knepp Estate. Feel at one with nature with a Knepp Safaris visit – one of the largest rewilding projects in Lowland Britain. Encounter herds of wild ponies, cattle, deer and pigs as they roam 3,500 acres of Sussex, driving the forces of habitat regeneration.

Delve into the local culture. Just a short drive from Wiston is the stunning historic Arundel Castle. Dating back to 1067, Arundel Castle boasts Norman features, historical events, paintings by the likes of Canaletto and Gainsborough in spectacular interiors, and exceptional gardens.

Get lost in the world of art. The Gallery of Modern Art in the South, Pallant House Gallery is a unique combination of a Queen Anne townhouse & a contemporary building holding one of the best collections of 20th century British art in the world.