Chapel Down Wines - Boxley Abbey Vineyard
Set in the rolling hills of Kent's High Weald, just outside the medieval market town of Tenterden, Chapel Down is widely regarded as England's leading and largest wine producer. With a multi-award-winning portfolio of traditional-method sparkling wines, aromatic still whites, fruit-driven rosés and a flagship single-vineyard range, Chapel Down has done more than almost any other UK producer to put English wine on the world map. The visitor estate at Small Hythe is open year-round and offers guided tours, tutored tastings, fine dining and a busy calendar of seasonal events, all within an hour of London.
About Chapel Down
The Chapel Down winemaking story is rooted in Kent, in the heart of what is poetically known as the Garden of England. The company owns, leases and sources from over 1,000 acres of vineyards across the South East of England, of which 777 acres are fully productive. These vineyards are primarily situated on the south-facing chalk slopes of the Kent Downs, where the same free-draining chalk formations that underpin the Champagne region 200 miles to the south-east provide ideal terroir for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Bacchus.
The viticulture team also works with long-term partner growers across Kent, Sussex and Essex, ensuring consistent high-quality fruit across vintages. Grapes are grown predominantly on single and double Guyot pruning systems, on varied soils of chalk, clay and loam, each chosen to bring out the best in the varieties planted. The result is a balanced, expressive portfolio of wines that English drinkers now recognise as benchmarks of the category.
Mission, Values and Partners
Chapel Down's stated mission is to change the way the world thinks about English wine. The team is guided by five values: Grounded, Responsible, Ambitious, Proud and Entrepreneurial. The winemaking is led by Head Winemaker Josh Donaghay-Spire, who was named English Winemaker of the Year in 2023 and again featured among the Walpole British Luxury Power List in 2025. The company's CEO is James Pennefather, appointed in February 2025.
Chapel Down is the Official Sparkling Wine of the England & Wales Cricket Board, the Official English Sparkling Wine of Ascot Racecourse, the Official English Sparkling Wine of the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, the Official English Sparkling Wine of The Jockey Club, the Official English Sparkling Wine Partner of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and an Official Supplier to the London Stock Exchange. Chapel Down is publicly listed on the AIM market under the ticker CDGP and is a founder member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain scheme.
Visiting the Tenterden Estate
The address for visitors is Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG. The estate sits in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just outside the picturesque market town of Tenterden and roughly one hour from London. The grounds are open to the public seven days a week, with self-guided vineyard walks available without a booking.
Opening Hours
- Sunday to Wednesday: 10am - 5pm
- Thursday to Saturday: 10am - 7pm
Free on-site parking is available. By rail, the nearest station is Headcorn (about 20 minutes by taxi), with Ashford International around 35 minutes away. For the inaugural Magnum Festival, Chapel Down runs a complimentary return coach transfer from Headcorn Station.
On-Estate Facilities
- The Swan at Chapel Down - the estate's two AA Rosette restaurant, recommended by the Michelin Guide, serving a seasonal modern British menu paired with Chapel Down wines.
- The Cellar Door Bar - a walk-in wine flight and tasting bar offering any three wines from the full range (excluding Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée) for £15 per person, plus a small selection of cheeses and charcuterie.
- The Wine Sanctuary - a panoramic private event space overlooking the vineyard, used for tastings, weddings, corporate away days and private tasting events.
- The Hythe - a new premium tasting room unveiled in June 2026, launching alongside a new luxury wine experience ahead of English Wine Week.
- The Winery Shop - offering the full range of wines, gifts, picnic favourites and English wine accessories.
Children are welcome on the estate but are not permitted on tour activities. Dogs on leads are welcome for walks around the Tenterden site, but not on tours or in the shop. Picnics are allowed in the grounds.
Guided Tours and Wine Experiences
Chapel Down offers a deep bench of tasting experiences, all bookable online. Concessions on the standard guided tour are available for over-60s and students. All tours must be booked in advance; cancellations are non-refundable.
Browse and reserve experiences: Tours & Events.
Guided Tour and Tasting - From £30 per person
A two-hour tour of the vineyards and winery with one of Chapel Down's expert guides, covering the vineyard cycle, the English grape harvest and the intricate process of traditional-method sparkling wine production. The experience finishes with a tutored tasting of five signature wines.
Cheese and Wine Experience - From £70 per person
A two-hour vineyard and winery tour, followed by a tutored tasting of five signature wines paired with local cheeses and artisanal crackers. Guests also receive a £10 voucher to spend in the winery shop.
Wine and Dine Experience - From £120 per person
A four-hour full-immersion day starting at 11.30am with a guided tour and tutored tasting of five signature wines, then a three-course set lunch at The Swan restaurant with two glasses of Chapel Down still wine to accompany the meal.
The Kit's Coty Collection Tour - From £50 per person
A two-hour exploration of Chapel Down's flagship single-vineyard range, beginning with a tour of the Tenterden vineyard, a behind-the-scenes talk with a senior cellar hand, and a tutored tasting of Kit's Coty still and sparkling wines including the Coeur de Cuvée 2016.
Luxury Dining Experience - From £150 per person
A five-hour early evening vineyard tour, an extended tutored tasting of five luxury wines, and a five-course tasting menu at The Swan restaurant paired with two glasses of Chapel Down still wine. Tea or coffee to finish.
Walk-In Wine Flight - From £15 per person
Drop in any day between 10am and 5pm, choose any three wines from the full range (excluding Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée) and enjoy a relaxed tasting at the Cellar Door Bar. Cheese and charcuterie platters are available to accompany.
Chapel Down Goes To Town - £75 per person
For those who can't get to the estate, a Chapel Down Brand Ambassador will bring a tasting to you anywhere in Kent or Greater London. The two-hour package includes a welcome glass of English sparkling wine, an introduction talk and a portfolio tasting of still and sparkling wines. Minimum 10 guests (£750 minimum charge), maximum 30.
Tour Gift Cards
All of the above experiences are available as e-vouchers delivered by email:
- Guided Tour and Tasting E-Voucher - From £40 per person
- Cheese and Wine Experience E-Voucher - From £70 per person
- Wine and Dine Experience E-Voucher - From £120 per person
- Luxury Dining Experience E-Voucher - From £160 per person
Gift vouchers can be ordered online from the Gift a Tour range and redeemed against any tour booking.
Corporate Experiences and Away Days
Chapel Down has a dedicated corporate offering based around the Wine Sanctuary and the wider estate, ideal for offsite meetings, team-building days and client hospitality. All packages can be tailored, and the team can help with travel and accommodation queries.
Corporate Away Day - £120 per person
Five hours including exclusive use of the Wine Sanctuary for the morning (with Wi-Fi, projector and screen), a vineyard tour led by a Brand Ambassador, a tutored tasting of award-winning still and sparkling wines, and a two-course lunch in The Swan with a glass of Chapel Down English sparkling and tea or coffee to finish. Minimum 10, maximum 50.
Luxury Corporate Away Day - £175 per person
Six hours including exclusive use of the Wine Sanctuary, a vineyard tour, an extended tutored tasting that includes the Kit's Coty premium range, a three-course lunch in The Swan with half a bottle of wine per person, and a Chapel Down gift to take home. Minimum 10, maximum 50.
For overnight accommodation, Chapel Down partners with Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse (from £190 per room) and Chilston Park in Lenham (from £190 per person), both with transport to and from the estate. A comprehensive corporate gifting service is also available, with a downloadable brochure from the Corporate Gifting page.
The Wines
Chapel Down's core portfolio is split across Sparkling, Still, Rosé, White, mixed cases and the prestige Kit's Coty range. Below is a tour of the headline wines, all priced as cases of six 75cl bottles unless stated.
Sparkling Wines
The sparkling wines are made using the méthode traditionnelle, the same secondary fermentation in bottle used in Champagne, and Chapel Down's flagship Brut and Rosé regularly outperform Champagne in blind tastings.
- Brut NV - £186 per case. The bestselling Chapel Down wine, a classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc with notes of apple, citrus and strawberry and fine persistent bubbles. A IWC, WineGB and Great British Food Awards winner, recommended by Esquire, The Times and Harper's Bazaar. Shop Brut.
- Rosé - £150 per case (reduced from £204). The Decanter Best in Show and IWC Gold Trophy winner. A classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc and Early Pinot Noir with aromas of redcurrant, citrus and wild strawberry. Shop Rosé.
- A Touch of Sparkle Classic 2024 - £96 per case. A lightly carbonated English white with aromas of grapefruit and elderflower, made from a blend of Bacchus and Chardonnay. Shop Classic.
- A Touch of Sparkle Rosé 2023 - £96 per case. A crisp, fresh lightly effervescent rosé with notes of raspberries, strawberries and cream, positioned as a refined English alternative to Prosecco. Shop Rosé Sparkle.
- English Sparkling Intro Case - £210 and Sparkling Best Sellers - £162 - curated cases for exploring the fizz range.
Still Wines
- Bacchus 2025 - £96 per case. The new vintage of Chapel Down's bestselling still white, hailed as England's answer to Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and fresh, with bright aromas of elderflower, grapefruit and tropical fruit. Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, fermented cool in stainless steel with six months on lees. Shop Bacchus 2025.
- Flint Dry 2024 - £96 per case. A highly aromatic white blend of Chardonnay, Bacchus, Pinot Blanc, Schonburger, Siegerrebe and Reichensteiner, with intense aromas of green apple, pear and citrus. Shop Flint Dry.
- Chardonnay 2023 - £96 per case. A crisp and fresh unoaked Chardonnay from the Kent North Downs with notes of ripe apple and pear and a creamy texture, an IWC and WineGB award-winner. Shop Chardonnay.
- English Rose 2025 - the still rosé in the new Touch of English Rosé Mixed Case (£96), featuring three bottles of English Rose 2025 and three bottles of A Touch of Sparkle Rosé 2023.
Kit's Coty - The Premium Range
Kit's Coty is Chapel Down's flagship single-vineyard range, made from grapes grown on the south-facing chalk slopes of the North Downs in Kent. The wines are produced in small quantities and designed to age beautifully for 5 to 10 years.
- Kit's Coty Blanc de Blancs 2014 - from a single vintage, one of the most awarded English sparkling wines of recent years.
- Kit's Coty Blanc de Blancs 2015 Magnum - a large-format prestige release.
- Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2016 - Chapel Down's top-of-range sparkling, featured in the Kit's Coty Collection Tour.
Both the Kit's Coty Blanc de Blancs 2019 and the Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2019 won Gold medals at the International Wine Challenge 2025.
Discovery Series
The Discovery Series is Chapel Down's experimental small-batch range, led by the winemaking team to explore lesser-known grape varieties and innovative winemaking techniques. Each release is unique to its vintage and once sold out is gone for good.
- Discovery Series Pinot Blanc 2022 - £156 per case
- Discovery Series Chardonnay 2022 - £156 per case
- Rosé Reserve 2021 - £240 per case - a single-vintage reserve English sparkling rosé.
Magnums and Jeroboams
Chapel Down is one of the UK's largest producers of large-format English sparkling wines, with an extensive range of Magnums and Jeroboams for celebrations, weddings and corporate events. The flagship Brut Magnum (150cl - £67 single bottle) is one of the most popular gift options.
Gifts, Personalisation and Mixed Cases
Chapel Down offers a comprehensive gifting service, including free personalised gift messages on every order, an extensive personalised wine service for weddings and birthdays, and curated mixed cases from £96 (six bottles). The Mix Your Own Case builder lets customers build a bespoke six-bottle selection. E-Gift Cards are available from £25 for use online or in the Tenterden retail shop.
Current Offers
As of August 2026, the headline offer is a £54 saving on the multi-award-winning Rosé, taking the six-bottle case from £204 to £150. Free standard UK delivery is available on all orders over £75.
Where to Stay
Chapel Down does not have its own accommodation on the Small Hythe estate, but partners with a handpicked selection of nearby properties. Several combine an overnight stay with a guided Chapel Down tour and tasting.
- The Print House, Tenterden - a 16th-century inn with six boutique bedrooms. Premium Package (Deluxe room) from £390 per couple; Wine Experience Package from £270 per couple. Contact management@theprinthousetenterden.com or 01580 231103.
- Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse - a nine-bedroom Victorian B&B on the Sissinghurst Castle National Trust estate. Three package options from £280 to £450 per couple, including tours, lunch and tea. Contact info@sissinghurstcastlefarmhouse.co.uk or 07789 994 134.
- Chilston Park, Lenham - an award-winning luxury country house hotel. Chapel Down packages from £260 to £480 per couple. Contact chilstonpark@handpicked.co.uk or 01622 859 803.
- Chart Hills, Biddenden - a Sir Nick Faldo-designed championship golf course with on-site accommodation. The Stay & Play package with a Chapel Down tour is £229 per person, or £1,992 for a group of 8 with a private tour. Contact fayeb@charthills.co.uk.
- Crafted at Powdermills, Battle, East Sussex - a lakeside hotel and members' club on a 78-acre private estate.
- The Little Silver Hotel, Tenterden - four miles from Chapel Down, with bespoke rooms from £190 to £250 per night including breakfast and a guided wine tour. Contact 01580 443 005.
- Hector's Hut, Smallhythe - a private shepherd's hut beside the Chapel Down vineyard, bookable via Airbnb.
Upcoming Events at the Vineyard
Highlights for late summer and early autumn 2026 include:
- 4 August 2026 - Taste of England Chef Series: An Evening with Ethan Pack of Three Sheets. One of three winners of Chapel Down's nationwide Taste of England competition, Ethan Pack takes over the kitchen at The Swan for a three-course menu (sweetcorn with bone marrow, pork fillet with oyster cream, and Kentish strawberry burnt cheesecake) paired with Chapel Down sparkling wines. From £75 per person.
- 9 August 2026 - Around the World in 80 Days. An open-air, one-night theatrical performance by a troupe of actor-musicians performing Jules Verne's classic, with live music and theatrical mayhem. From £18 per person. Guests are welcome to bring chairs, blankets and food.
- 26 August 2026 - Sunset Yoga. A one-hour yoga session in the vineyard or wine sanctuary (weather permitting), followed by a one-hour tutored tasting of five wines. Bring your own mat. From £35 per person.
- 5 - 6 September 2026 - Chapel Down Magnum Festival. The inaugural festival weekend of English wine, live music, food from Kent's leading restaurants and Magnum Masterclasses, set in Kent's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. £35 per person, with a complimentary coach transfer from Headcorn Station. Saturday 5 September runs 12pm - 8pm, Sunday 6 September 12pm - 6pm.
- 15 September 2026 - Taste of England Chef Series: An Evening with Simon Hulstone of The Elephant Restaurant, Torquay. Another Taste of England winner takes over The Swan kitchen for a three-course seasonal menu featuring hand-dived Brixham scallops, rump of Exmoor lamb and a Devon cream tea, paired with Chapel Down sparkling wines. From £75 per person.
Tickets and full listings are available through the Tours & Experiences range. On top of the festival, the estate hosts a year-round programme of seasonal events including Easter Cork Hunts, food and wine pairing dinners, late-night shopping evenings, Christmas wreath-making workshops and open-air theatre performances.
Weddings at Chapel Down
Chapel Down is a popular wedding partner, supplying personalised bottles for hen parties and bridesmaid gifts, table wines for the wedding breakfast and gift-boxed wines for the wedding party. Wedding brochures, personalisation services, a one-to-one wedding tasting with a Chapel Down Ambassador at the Tenterden winery, and a menu pairing guide are all available, alongside a dedicated Wedding Tastings Tour for couples planning their day. Further information is held in the Weddings section.
Recent Awards and Recognition
Highlights from the last 12 months and recent vintages include:
- Best Large Cellar Door at the inaugural WineGB Cellar Door Awards (July 2026)
- IWC Trophy and IWC Gold for Chapel Down Rosé (2026)
- TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award (recurring since 2022)
- Visit England Quality Food and Drink Accolade (November 2025)
- Decanter Best in Show for Chapel Down Rosé (2024)
- Eleven medals at WineGB 2023, nine medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, and eight medals at the International Wine Challenge 2023
- Gold medals at the International Wine Challenge 2025 for Kit's Coty Blanc de Blancs 2019 and Kit's Coty Coeur de Cuvée 2019
Independent blind tastings have also supported the brand's mission to change global perceptions of English wine. Most famously, a 2023 campaign in which Chapel Down's Brut was rebranded as Chapelle en Bas found that 60 per cent of French drinkers preferred it to their native Champagne.
Sustainability and Governance
Chapel Down is a founder member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain scheme, applying a multi-generational perspective to land management and business operations. The winemaking team uses traditional methods alongside modern precision techniques, and the company publishes a QCA-compliant corporate governance statement alongside its Audit & Risk and Remuneration Committee terms of reference.
Contact
- Winery, Retail and Tours: retail@chapeldown.com or 01580 766111
- Online Orders: orders@chapeldown.com
- Corporate Gifting: sales@chapeldown.com or 01580 763033
- Shareholder Enquiries: shareholder@chapeldown.com or 01580 763 033 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm)
- Marketing: marketing@chapeldown.com
- Head Office: Chapel Down Group PLC, Level 4, 128 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SW