Coes Farm Vineyard: A Family-Run Organic Estate in the Sussex High Weald
Tucked into a fold of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just outside Rotherfield in East Sussex, Coes Farm Vineyard is a quietly remarkable place. It is, in equal measure, a working organic vineyard and micro-winery, a 500-year-old farming estate, a small cluster of holiday lets, and a rewilding project, all run by one family on fifty acres of pasture, woodland, vineyard and orchard.
If you have ever wanted to visit an English estate where natural winemaking, regenerative land management and proper rural hospitality are pursued together, Coes Farm is precisely that. The wines are wild-ferment and largely hands-off, the holiday cottages come with a heated indoor saltwater pool and sauna, and the team are happy to walk you around the rows of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris and Sauvignac they planted in 2021.
Where Coes Farm is located
Coes Farm sits a few miles southwest of Crowborough, on Dewlands Hill above the village of Rotherfield. The address is:
- Coes Hall, Coes Farm, Dewlands Hill, Rotherfield, East Sussex, TN6 3RU
Visitors are told to look out for the iron gates and cobbled drive: the farm is roughly 100 yards before the postcode (from the south) or 100 yards after it (from the north). For those using sat-nav, the post code alone can send you to the wrong gate. A precise Google Maps pin is available, and the farm shares a what3words reference (///prime.nightlife.bats) for those who prefer grid-style coordinates.
The estate straddles a beautiful slice of the Weald: gently rolling pasture, mixed broadleaf woodland, a vineyard on the warmer slopes, and a lake that the shepherd's huts look out over. It is the kind of Sussex countryside that combines ancient lanes, ancient woodland and surprisingly good south-facing ground for vines.
A 500-year-old farm, reimagined
The oldest part of Coes is the farmhouse itself, which dates to the 16th century. The Granary cottage and an old barn (the latter incorporated into the house in the late 20th century) are part of the same historic core. By the time the current owners arrived in early 2020, the property had been empty for several years. The plumbing leaked, the roofs sagged, and timbers were rotting. It was, in other words, a labour of love from the first weekend.
The family's plan, plain and ambitious, was to:
- Bring the house and outbuildings back into use in the most eco-conscious way they could.
- Plant a vineyard and a small cider orchard.
- Begin rewilding the surrounding fields.
- Convert agricultural buildings into holiday lets.
The infrastructure work came first. A geothermal ground-source system now covers most of the property's heating needs, and Solar PV panels supplement the electricity. The trusty quad bike that services the rows is electric too. More than 5,000 native-species trees have been planted across the land, and a further 200 cider apple trees have gone into the existing orchard.
The vineyard
How it was planted
The vineyard was established in 2021, managed day-to-day by Ben, with help from the rest of the team and a vineyard approach informed by organic and a few biodynamic preparations. The vines are organised in two distinct blocks:
- East block: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, destined for Traditional Method English sparkling wine.
- West block: Pinot Gris and the relatively new hybrid Sauvignac, intended for still white and orange wines.
At the time of writing, the very first Coes harvest (2025) is safely in tank in the estate's tiny "garagista" micro-winery, and the team is preparing to release these wines in July 2026. Parallel to that, the sparkling base wines that will eventually become the second-generation Coes Traditional Method are being made in collaboration with winemakers Daniel and Nicola Ham.
A hands-off philosophy in the cellar
Coes's winemaking is unapologetically natural. Winemaking on site for the still wines is done with little or no intervention:
- Wild ferments: no cultured yeasts added.
- No filtration.
- No added sulphur.
- No fining.
- A little advice and guidance from natural winemaker Sophie Evans.
The grapes grown on the estate are organic, and Coes uses a few biodynamic preparations in the vineyard. Where fruit has to come in from outside (while the new vines matured), the team has used organic fruit from Ham Street Vineyard in Kent.
The wines, cider and vermouth on sale
While the estate's first Coes-grown wines are still resting in tank, a tightly curated set of bottles that showcase the house style is available to buy. All wines can be ordered online from the Wines, Cider & Vermouth range.
Coes 2021: Traditional Method Sparkling White, £44.00
The headline bottle. A 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sourced from the 2021 organic-conversion harvest at Ham Street Vineyard. Bunches were pressed by Daniel and Nicola Ham, then fermented and aged in French barrels. After nine months of élevage it was bottled in July 2022 with no fining, no filtration and no added sulphites, and released in June 2025. Best served thoroughly chilled. View product page.
Organic Chardonnay 2022, £28.00
A still English Chardonnay from the same Ham Street fruit. Whole-bunches pressed, then fermented and aged in French barrels. The winemakers did some gentle bâtonnage in spring 2023, and bottled via gravity at the end of September 2023, once again with no additions. Serve lightly chilled at 10 to 13°C. View product page.
Organic Pinot Noir Rosé 2023, £24.00
Whole bunches of Pinot Noir were foot-trodden and left to macerate for 24 hours before being pressed in a small basket press. The juice was then fermented in French barrel and bottled in spring 2024. A pale, food-friendly English rosé with the structure good still Pinot can deliver. Serve lightly chilled. View product page.
Wild Goose English Vermouth, £22.00
The vermouth is a separate little project. Coes passed a wild-ferment, unfiltered natural wine, made from Essex-grown Pinot Blanc, to friend Gnina Balchin at In The Loop, who fortified and aromatised it with a blend of spices including clove, star anise and wormwood grown in East Sussex. The result is a semi-sweet vermouth with orange and vanilla notes, a light dusting of spice, and a long, apple-strudel finish. The team's suggested serve is neat over ice, or stirred one-part Mousehall Gin, one-part Wild Goose and one-part Campari with burnt orange peel for an English/Italian Negroni. View product page.
A cider to come
Cider is the next big ambition. When the family first moved in there was an orchard of around sixty trees (Discovery, Russet and Bramley apples) already in place. In 2022 they added a further 175 cider apple trees: Dabinett, Gilly, Three Counties and Harry Masters Jersey. The first cider apple harvest is expected in 2026, with a Coes cider pencilled in for 2027.
Vineyard tours and tastings
Coes runs a guided vineyard walk and natural wine tasting each summer. The format is straightforward: a tour around the rows and the tiny winery, an explanation of how the wild-ferment, no-additions wines are made, and a tasting flight of the current releases.
- Price: £25.00 per person
- Season: Selected dates between May and the end of September
- Booking: Tours run on selected dates, and 2026 bookings are now open. Specific dates are shared via the tour booking page and on Instagram and Facebook. For enquiries, email enquiries@coesfarm.co.uk.
For guests already booked into one of the holiday lets, a vineyard tour can also be added during the booking process under Little Extras for the same £25.00 per person.
Stay at Coes Farm
Coes is also a holiday-let business. There are four self-contained properties on the estate, each sleeping two and each dog friendly. Every booking includes shared use of the estate's pool, hot tub, sauna, games room and tennis court from 9am to 5pm daily. All four are listed on Airbnb.
The Granary
The most traditional property. A self-contained one-bedroomed cottage with a California king bed, fully equipped kitchen, large log burner, and outdoor seating with loungers overlooking the pond. Step out of the bedroom into a quiet Sussex view, then wander down to the spa facilities. View The Granary or check availability on Airbnb.
Pigeon Hole Shepherd's Hut
A hand-built shepherd's hut in five acres of woodland, adjacent to the lake. Built in 2021 by local craftsman Dicky Deans using sustainable materials, it has a double bed, a bijou kitchen, a "hobbit" log burner, a compost loo and a balcony. A fire pit and barbeque sit alongside. Hot showers and flushing loos are a three-minute walk away. View Pigeon Hole or check availability on Airbnb.
The Sett Shepherd's Hut
The Sett shares the lake view but faces the vineyard directly, so you can watch the seasons change from the front steps. Also built by Dicky Deans in 2021, it has a king-size bed, the same bijou kitchen and log burner set-up, and its own fire pit and barbeque a few steps away. Hot showers and flushing loos are a five-minute walk away. View The Sett or check availability on Airbnb.
The Orangery
The newest of the four. A self-contained studio with a super king-size bed, open-plan kitchen, shower room, TV and WiFi, and a private terrace looking over the pond. A good option for couples who want a slightly more spacious footprint than the shepherd's huts. View The Orangery or check availability on Airbnb.
Jess handles bookings via Airbnb. Direct bookings get the best prices. Stay-guest perks include access to the pool, hot tub, sauna, games room and tennis court every day from 9am to 5pm, plus optional extras such as the Sunday Lie-in, a £25 late-checkout add-on that lets you keep the room (and the pool) until 1pm on Sunday morning.
Facilities: pool, hot tub, sauna, games room and tennis court
The estate's leisure wing centres on a heated indoor saltwater swimming pool, kept at 29°C throughout the year. Surrounding the pool are a hot tub, sauna and small gym, with towels, robes, loungers and changing facilities all provided. There is also a games room and a tennis court out in the gardens.
Two ways to use them:
- As a guest at one of the four lets (free, daily, 9am to 5pm).
- As a private-hire visitor, Monday to Friday, 8am to 1pm, from £12 per person per hour (children under 18 are not permitted because of the depth). A "fully private swim" can be booked by reserving all six places in any given hourly slot.
Bookings are taken via the Swimming Availability calendar.
Venue hire: photo shoots and film locations
Many parts of the Coes estate are available for photo shoots or filming by arrangement. The brief is wide: woodland, pond, vineyard rows, the courtyard, the cottages. Pricing is quoted as a general guide rather than a fixed tariff, with bespoke quotes on application and a starting rate around £175 per hour. Initial enquiries go to enquiries@coesfarm.co.uk. Photoshoot & Film Location has further detail.
The people behind the bottles
Coes is a working family farm. The team is small and visible:
- Martin and Louise, who uprooted the family to the farm in 2020 and oversee the estate.
- Ben, who manages the vineyard with help from the broader team.
- Jess, who manages the Airbnb bookings.
- Daniel and Nicola Ham, the winemakers behind the Coes 2021, the Chardonnay 2022, the Pinot Noir Rosé 2023 and the future Traditional Method sparkling wines.
- Sophie Evans, the natural winemaker offering ongoing guidance for the on-site still wines.
- Gnina Balchin (In The Loop), the maker of Wild Goose Vermouth.
- Dicky Deans, the local craftsman who built both shepherd's huts in 2021.
It is rare to find an English estate where the makers' names are quite this visible. That visibility is part of the charm, and part of why the wines and the experience feel so grounded in the place they come from.
Sustainability and the rewilding project
If the winemaking is hands-off, the land management is hands-on. The rewilding project around the vineyard has, to date, included:
- Planting more than 5,000 native-species trees on the estate.
- Planting the vineyard (2021) and the extended cider orchard (2022).
- Installing geothermal ground-source heating across most of the property.
- Adding solar PV to supplement electricity.
- Running an electric quad bike for day-to-day vineyard work.
- Using organic husbandry in the vineyard plus a few biodynamic preparations.
It is a quietly ambitious programme, and it is being delivered in real time: every visit to Coes, season on season, looks a little different, with the canopy thickening and the vines coming into their own.
Visiting and planning your trip
Getting there
By road, Rotherfield is roughly equidistant between Tunbridge Wells (south) and Crowborough (north), reached via the A26. From the M25, the A21 takes you past Tunbridge Wells and on into the Weald. There is ample parking at the farm once you arrive. From London, expect around an hour and a quarter outside peak times.
What to bring
- Sturdy boots or wellies for the vineyard tour (the rows are on a slope and the paths are grass).
- A swimming costume if you intend to use the pool or hot tub (guests don't need to book; private-hire visitors do).
- A camera: the pond, the woodland, and the stone outbuildings are very photogenic at any time of year.
Best times of year
- Spring: bluebells in the woodland, bud break in the vineyard.
- Summer (May to end September): vineyard tours and tastings, pool in full use, holidays peak.
- Autumn: harvest and the traditional start of cider orchard activity.
- Winter: quiet stays, log burners lit, Christmas-feel get-togethers for small groups.
Why Coes Farm matters for English wine
England's still-wine industry has grown up surprisingly quickly over the past decade, but it has done so against a backdrop of climate uncertainty, land-use change and a tightening regulatory environment. Estates like Coes, small, organic, low-intervention, with their own holiday-let economy and a genuine rewilding programme attached, are quietly writing a different chapter of the story.
The benchmarks here are uncompromising: no cultured yeast, no filtration, no added sulphites. The fruit is either estate-grown or comes from an organic vineyard in Kent the team knows personally. The micro-winery is small enough to be hand-operated, but serious enough to be making the kind of wines that have earned a place on natural-wine lists from London to Brighton. And the team around the family, Daniel and Nicola Ham on the sparkling wines, Sophie Evans as a sounding board, Gnina Balchin at In The Loop on the vermouth, is a reminder that the modern English natural-wine scene is a small, generous community, not a competitive race.
Add to that a setting in one of the most quietly beautiful AONBs in the south-east, and you have a small English vineyard that is well worth the detour.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book vineyard tours in advance?
Yes. Tours run on selected dates between May and the end of September. Bookings for the 2026 season are open, with specific dates shared on Instagram. Each tour is priced at £25.00 per person.
Are children allowed on site?
Children are welcome in the holiday accommodation (subject to each property's terms), but the swimming pool itself is not open to under-18s due to its depth, so private pool hire is strictly for adults.
Are dogs welcome?
Yes. All four lets (The Granary, Pigeon Hole, The Sett and The Orangery) are dog friendly.
Where can I buy the wines?
The Coes 2021, Organic Chardonnay 2022, Organic Pinot Noir Rosé 2023 and Wild Goose Vermouth can all be ordered online. UK shipping is offered, with returns handled by the team at the farm.
How do I book the shepherd's huts, cottages or studio?
Jess manages all bookings directly via Airbnb. The property links are: The Granary, Pigeon Hole, The Sett and The Orangery. Direct bookings get the best prices.
Where can I find out what's on at Coes?
Swimming, tours and private hire dates are shared on Instagram and Facebook throughout the year.