Birling Estate Vineyard: A Regenerative North Kent Downs Estate with English Sparkling Pet-Nat
Sprawling across 1,800 acres of south-facing chalk slopes in the North Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Birling Estate is one of the most ambitious regenerative estates in southern England. Best known today for its young vineyard and sparkling Pet-Nat wine Wilde Birle, the wider estate is a working patchwork of ancient woodland, restored chalk grassland, arable farmland, off-grid camping, weddings, wellness retreats, English-grown timber and a soon-to-launch nature recovery corridor called Chalk to Coast.
It is also a deeply historic landscape. In 2035 the Nevill family will mark 600 years and 20 generations as custodians of the land, and the story stretches even further back to a deer park held by Odo, Bishop of Baieux, half-brother of William the Conqueror. The current Managing Partner, Guy Nevill, brought 20 years of environmental engineering experience to the role and has used it to diversify the estate into a modern, conservation-led rural business.
Location and how to visit
Birling Estate sits between the North Downs and the M20, an hour from London by car. The main estate address is Birling Place, Birling, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5JN. By rail, West Malling, Meopham and Borough Green stations are all 40 - 50 minutes from London Victoria, while Ebbsfleet International is around 25 minutes away and just 17 minutes from King's Cross St Pancras. The sawmill and a satellite site are located at Park Barn Farm, Park Farm Road, Ryarsh, ME19 5JY.
The story of the estate
A 600-year custodianship
The Manor of Birling was originally part of the possessions of Odo, Bishop of Baieux, half-brother of William the Conqueror. After him, Ralph de Curva Spina lived at a manor house called Comfort until 1154. The estate then passed through several families before Elizabeth Beauchamp, daughter of the Earl of Worcester, married Sir Edward Nevill in 1435 - and it has remained in the Nevill family ever since.
One of the most colourful Nevills was Sir George, 5th Baron Bergavenny, who served as Chief Larderer to Henry VIII, competed at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520 and was also Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. His son Henry later hosted Queen Elizabeth I at Birling during her 1573 progresses.
From a deer park to a regenerative estate
The short-lived Birling Manor House was built in the 1830s by the Hon. Rev. William Nevill, later 4th Earl of Abergavenny, and stood for less than a century. On the morning of 17 January 1917 a devastating fire almost totally demolished the building, bringing to an end what had been a centre of village life. Today, if you look carefully, the ruins can still be found hidden in the woodland glade at The Manor Gardens, the estate's outdoor wedding and events space.
Guy Nevill's modern vision is to make Birling "a beautiful and resilient business that will breathe life into the estate and create ripples of positive change", as set out in the estate's Strategic Plan. The family crest motto, Ne vile velis - 'form no mean wish' - is the guiding principle.
The vineyard and Birling wines
Birling's vineyard is the realisation of a 20-year dream. The site covers 40 acres of south-facing, chalky slopes nestled under the North Downs - the same chalk seam that runs beneath Champagne - making it one of the most promising new English sites of the past decade.
In 2022 the estate planted 27,000 vines in a single weekend, partnered with Westwell Wines in what was reported as the UK's first share-farming vineyard contract. A further planting takes the total to the planned 40 acres, growing four varieties: Burgundian clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Ortega.
Wilde Birle - the debut Pet-Nat
The first release, made by Westwell Wines from Birling fruit, is a wild-yeast sparkling Pet-Nat named Wilde Birle. The name is rooted in Old English:
- Wilde - 'in a natural or low-intervention state; of fermentation, occurring with wild yeast.'
- Birle - 'to serve wine; to drink merrily in good company.'
Pétillant naturel is made using the méthode ancestrale - the technique that predates Champagne - in which the wine is bottled before its first fermentation finishes, allowing the remaining sugars to ferment inside the sealed bottle and create natural bubbles. The result is a rose-gold, lightly sparkling wine built for picnics, BBQs and long summer evenings.
What is coming next
Classic method English sparkling wine and still wines are expected from 2027. The alleys between the rows are already sown with a multi-species mix of grasses, clovers and legumes to build soil life, while the multi-species windbreaks form biodiversity corridors linking the vines to the chalk-loving wildflowers above. Skylarks rise over the vineyard and the occasional red kite wheels overhead.
Where to buy
Wine orders are processed through the Badgells Wood Camping shop at badgellswoodcamping.co.uk/birling-estate-wine. You can also register your interest to be the first to hear about new releases.
Farming and the wider estate
Arable, pasture and the Black Sheep Project
Farming has evolved with the times. Hop fields and orchards that once dominated the old tithe maps have given way to arable, pasture and a small flock of native and rare-breed hill sheep. All crops grown on the estate are food grade - milling wheat, malting barley and naked oats, not animal feed - and the estate typically grows around 2,000 tonnes of wheat a year, enough for about 3.5 million loaves of bread.
The 1,000 acres of arable and 100 acres of pasture are managed under the Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship scheme, with wildflower field margins, uncut hedgerows and winter cover crops visible across the farm. Soils are being rebuilt using digestate, an organic fertiliser applied across 320 acres that has cut artificial nitrogen use by 50% and phosphate/potash/sulphur use by 100%.
The flock - predominantly Hebridean with some Manx and Shetland - was introduced through the Birling Black Sheep Project. Their light hooves don't compact the fragile chalk soil, and their selective grazing creates the varied sward structure that invertebrates, reptiles and ground-nesting birds need.
An ancient woodland network
Of the 1,800 acres, around 700 acres are woodland, the majority of it ancient woodland whose undisturbed soils support huge networks of fungi - the wood-wide web. Woodland management is guided by a Forestry Commission Approved Woodland Management Plan and certified by Grown in Britain. Coppicing and selective thinning open up rides and glades, letting light reach the forest floor and boosting ground flora and insect life.
Conservation and biodiversity
Conservation is at the heart of the estate's identity. In 2024 all of Birling's land moved into Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship, which includes restoring 1.5 km of hedgerows, creating 35 ha of species-rich grassland and wildflower meadows, and adding field-margin buffer strips.
Chalk grassland SSSI
On the slopes of the North Downs escarpment, the estate has restored 40 acres of SSSI calcareous (chalk) grassland through traditional conservation grazing by goats, cattle and rare-breed native sheep. A well-managed chalk sward can support up to 40 species of flowering plant per square metre - the rare Straw Belle moth, the jewel-like Chalk Hill Blue and Adonis Blue butterflies all rely on it. Plans are now in place to restore the last 25 ha.
Hedgerows, dormice and woodland links
Since 2024 the estate has planted more than 1 km of new hedgerows with Medway Valley Countryside Partnership, CPRE and local volunteers, with another kilometre planned the following winter. These corridors are vital for hazel dormice: the 2024 PTES National Dormouse Monitoring surveys confirmed breeding dormice at Birling, including a litter of four juveniles. Disease-resistant elms planted through the Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund are also helping to bring back the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly.
Ponds, newts and chalk streams
Two historic ponds recorded on 1870s maps, lost to scrub and time, have been carefully restored with Natural England to create ideal breeding habitat for the European-protected great crested newt. Twelve kilometres of chalk streams cross the estate, with plans to extend riparian planting and restore ghost ponds and medieval stew ponds for a 0.55 ha freshwater habitat.
A partner in the North Kent Woods and Downs NNR
In 2026 Birling Estate became a Partner Member of the North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve, one of England's newest landscape-scale NNRs. As an Affiliate Partner Member, Birling helps coordinate grazing strategy and habitat restoration across thousands of hectares of chalk grassland, ancient woodland and farmland.
Chalk to Coast - a 60-mile nature recovery corridor
Inspired by Sussex's Weald to Waves, Birling Estate is the driving force behind Chalk to Coast, billed as Kent's first large-scale nature recovery corridor. It will stretch 60 miles from the chalk grasslands of the North Kent Downs all the way to the coastal marshes and nature reserves of north Kent, knitting fragmented habitats into a continuous, climate-resilient network. The official launch took place in February 2025.
Wildlife highlights at Birling
Citizen-science surveys and the estate's own monitoring are turning up an extraordinary species list. Highlights from the 2025 wildlife roundup include Pyramidal Orchid, Violet Helleborine, Marbled White, Chalkhill Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral, Nightingale, Skylark, Whitethroat, Southern Oak Bush-cricket, Rufous Grasshopper and Hazel Dormouse. Moth-trapping has logged over 100 species in a single weekend, including Evergestis limbata, Gypsy Moth, Festoon and the scarce Waved Carpet. Chalk-grassland botanical surveys have turned up Fly Orchid, Man Orchid, Bee Orchid and a rare Eyebright hybrid.
Two Barn Owl nesting boxes installed with Medway Valley Countryside Partnership show early signs of habitation, and the estate continues to log sightings of White-letter Hairstreak, the endangered Straw Belle moth and - in January 2025 - three endangered moths discovered in the SSSI.
Wellness, nature and learning
Birling is positioning itself as much as a place of healing as a place of farming. The estate already hosts a varied programme of nature-based activities:
- Badgells Wood Off-Grid Camping - wild-camping style stays in ancient woodland with composting loos, fire pits and optional glamping.
- Woodland Yoga - seasonal classes among the trees.
- Foraging - guided walks learning what to pick and when.
- School of Nature and Bushcraft - survival and nature-connection skills for adults and families.
- Wild Things Summer Camp - a nature-led summer holiday for children.
- Children's House Montessori Forest School - outdoor early-years education.
Across the estate at The Nuttery, Nature's Goods runs the studio and café, blending pottery and natural skincare. They host Clay Wellness sessions that use hand-built ceramics and Gestalt principles for team bonding and mindfulness, and Natural Skincare workshops that combine essential oils, a clay-mask ritual and a facial mist.
The estate also runs a monthly Men's Mental Fitness Group, meeting outside the Nevill Bull pub for a walk, exercise and conversation in nature.
The Walled Garden Wellness Centre
Planning permission has been secured to convert the Victorian Walled Garden at Birling Manor into a Centre for Integrated Wellness & Healthcare - a sanctuary offering therapies, exercise, healthy food and landscaped gardens for the local community.
Weddings at The Manor Gardens
Tucked into the ruins of the old Manor House, The Manor Gardens is Birling's outdoor wedding and events space, available on a dry-hire basis or with full facilities. The grounds can host up to 150 guests with manicured lawns, woodland glades and pockets of wild planting to suit woodland, festival or tipi weddings.
- Giant Hat Tipi for dining or dancing
- Composting toilets, outdoor kitchen and dining space
- Glamping available for post-wedding brunches
The estate also offers two smaller event spaces:
- Badgells Wood Kitchen - a rustic kitchen and dining space in the woods for private-hire events or curated catered dining
- Woodland Board-Room - an off-grid meeting space seating up to 20 people with covered and uncovered seating, tea and coffee, Wi-Fi, a whiteboard and a fire pit
Pricing for weddings, dry-hire and the boardroom is available on application.
Corporate away days and Regenerative Leadership
Birling has built a strong corporate offering around the idea that deep immersion in nature unlocks clearer thinking. The standard corporate away day starts around the firepit with a hot drink and an introduction to the day, then moves through:
- Forest Bathing & sensory mindfulness in ancient woodland
- A nature-restoration volunteering block - scrub clearance on chalk grassland or chalk-stream restoration
- A hearty, locally sourced lunch with chill-out time
- An afternoon team-building option - Clay Mindfulness, Foraging & Fire Cooking, Bushcraft, MYO Natural Skincare, Yoga & Breathwork, Axe Throwing or an Art workshop
- Campfire close with English sparkling wine or a Kent Brewery beer
For smaller executive groups, tailored Regenerative Leadership coaching sessions tie the experience back to strategic decision-making. The estate is also inviting companies to use their ESG volunteer days on Birling, or to become Corporate Partners of Chalk to Coast. Pricing and brochure are available on application.
English timbers from Birling Sawmill
The estate grows, processes and mills its own timber through Birling Sawmill at Park Barn Farm, Ryarsh, ME19 5JY. Every plank can be supplied with a certificate of provenance, including the What3Words location where the tree grew and its age. Species available include:
- Oak, Ash, Beech, Sycamore
- Sweet Chestnut, Western Red Cedar, Cedar Atlantica Glauca
- Poplar, Field Maple, Robinia, Larch
- Corsican Pine, Scots Pine, Norway Spruce
Finishing options cover green or barn-dried timber, square or wany-edge boards, rough-sawn or 24″ planed, tongue & groove, and unpeeled chestnut poles.
Pricing
- Swedish Candles (cut from the surrounding woodland, ideal for garden parties or camping): from £15
- Viking Chairs - durable, weatherproof and portable: £45.00 each
- Chestnut poles (unpeeled) - prices vary by size
- Firewood - local delivery to Birling, Ryarsh and Snodland (order via Badgells Wood)
Home Grown House
Birling hosted the Home Grown House research project with the London Metropolitan School of Art, Architecture & Design and Grown in Britain, supported by the Forestry Commission South-East Innovation Fund. The project investigated the use of locally sourced small-diameter round wood - specifically coppiced Sweet Chestnut - in construction. The completed cabin, built using Sweet Chestnut and Ash with structurally insulated panels, will be available for holiday lettings on the estate in due course.
Property, makers hub and filming
The estate lets a small number of period cottages and modern homes in Birling Village, as well as commercial units from 500 to 3,000 sq ft - converted farm buildings now home to designers, makers and craft businesses. Existing tenants include Nature's Goods and Kent Brewery. Interested makers can email the office to register interest.
With its Kent Downs AONB scenery, ancient woodland, Victorian manor garden, chalk grassland, old farm buildings, woodland archaeology and even the remains of a WWII training camp and WWI trench, Birling Estate is also a popular filming location. The estate hosted singer Mimi Webb's first music video back in 2020.
Ramblings, ancient monuments and community
Birling manages 26.5 km of footpaths, 22 km of Public Right of Way and 4.5 km of permissive routes, including sections of the Pilgrims Way, the North Downs Way and the Weald Way. The prehistoric trackways meet in view of the Coldrum Stones, a Neolithic megalithic burial chamber older than Stonehenge and one of the Medway Megaliths.
Every May Day at dawn, the Hartley Morris Men meet at Coldrum to perform dances to "sing up the sun". The annual Birling Village Fete - old-school games, tug-of-war and the legendary Birling Bake-Off - is held in the Manor Gardens.
Sustainability and net zero
Birling Estate has a target of Net Zero by 2035. Steps already taken include:
- 50 kWp solar array on the farmyard and solar PV at Badgells Wood Camping
- Organic digestate replacing artificial fertiliser across 320 acres
- Reduced pesticide use and regenerative arable trials on the vineyard
- Biochar and other low-carbon soil amendments under investigation
- Energy-efficiency upgrades on residential properties
- 1% for the Planet membership through Badgells Wood
Key details
Whether you come for the wine, the weddings, the volunteering, the camping or simply a walk along the North Downs Way, Birling Estate is a living example of how a 600-year-old family holding can be reborn around soil, biodiversity and people.
- Address: Birling Estate, Birling Place, Birling, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5JN
- Sawmill: Birling Estate Sawmill, Park Barn Farm, Park Farm Road, Ryarsh, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5JY
- Email: office@birlingestate.co.uk
- Telephone: 01634 240257
- Wine orders: Badgells Wood Camping - Birling Estate Wine
- Weddings & events: birlingestate.co.uk/wedding-venue
- Corporate away days: birlingestate.co.uk/corporate-partnerships
- Wellness & nature: birlingestate.co.uk/wellness
- English timbers: birlingestate.co.uk/english-timbers
- Conservation: birlingestate.co.uk/conservation
- News & events diary: birlingestate.co.uk/news-events
Birling Estate is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with regular updates from the vines, the woods and the chalk hills.