Highdown Vineyard - A South Downs Wedding and Events Venue in Ferring, West Sussex
Nestled on the southern slopes of the South Downs, between the seaside towns of Littlehampton and Worthing, Highdown Vineyard is one of West Sussex's most distinctive small estates. While it sits among the chalky slopes that make this stretch of coast so well suited to viticulture, the vineyard is best known today as a wedding and celebration venue, framed by its own rows of vines and panoramic views of the Downs beyond.
Run by Aly and Paul, the property combines the working character of an English vineyard with the flexibility of a purpose-built events venue. Couples, families and businesses hire the site for weddings, private parties, christenings, anniversaries, retirement lunches, charity fundraisers, craft fairs and corporate functions, while groups can also arrange wine tastings and guided visits by contacting the team direct.
Location and Setting
Highdown Vineyard lies just off the A259, on Littlehampton Road in the village of Ferring, West Sussex. The postcode is BN12 6PG. From the site, views sweep across the vines and out towards the South Downs National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The combination of chalk-influenced soils, coastal breezes and gentle south-facing slopes makes this part of the Sussex coast one of the most productive wine-growing areas in England, and visitors arriving at Highdown will see why at first glance.
The address sits within easy reach of Brighton, Chichester, Arundel and Worthing, with good rail links at Goring-by-Sea and Angmering stations and the A27 close by. That accessibility is a major reason the venue is popular with couples and event planners across the south of England.
A Vineyard Born from a Film and TV Background
One of the more unusual things about Highdown Vineyard is the background of its owners. Aly and Paul's previous careers were in film and television production, and they often draw the comparison between organising a wedding or party and running a shoot: “Bringing an event together on time, on budget, having it run smoothly as well as incorporating lots of peoples’ ideas are the same whether a camera is rolling or not - and in both cases it’s often a matter of being adaptable and finding solutions.”
That pragmatic, detail-led approach shapes how the team handles every booking. Rather than offering rigid, off-the-shelf packages, Highdown builds each event around the host’s own ideas and budget. As the venue puts it, “individual and unique doesn’t have to equal costly,” and guests are not asked to pay for elements they don’t want simply because they sit inside a bundle.
Weddings at Highdown Vineyard
The Bacchus Suite and Civil Ceremonies
At the heart of the venue is the Bacchus Suite, named after the classic grape variety so widely planted on English soils. The Suite is licensed for civil ceremonies and can seat up to 92 guests for the ceremony itself. Its full-height glazing frames the vineyard and the South Downs beyond, so couples marry with the vines and the rolling chalk hills as a living backdrop.
The Suite can also be configured in a number of ways depending on the time of year, the size of the guest list and the shape of the day. This flexibility is a recurring theme in feedback from couples, who frequently praise the team for tailoring the layout, food and running order to their own plans rather than the other way around.
Wedding Receptions and the Big Day
For the reception itself, Highdown offers a wide choice of menus (covered in detail below), from formal wedding breakfasts to relaxed BBQs, buffets and cream teas. Drinks can be served on the lawn with the vines in view, and the team is happy to discuss timings, layouts and supplier choices in person before the day.
Two recent testimonials give a sense of how the day tends to feel for guests:
- “Just a little note to say a very big thank you for such an amazing day at Emma’s wedding last weekend. We all had a truly unforgettable time… It is much appreciated.” - Richard
- “We want to thank you for all you did to make our wedding reception go so smoothly. So many of our guests commented on what a wonderful venue it was… Thank you for your enthusiasm, ideas and flexibility.” - David and Victoria
Parties, Celebrations and Corporate Events
The same flexibility that makes Highdown work for weddings also makes it a natural choice for almost any other kind of gathering. The venue regularly hosts the following kinds of occasions:
- Christening and naming-day ceremonies
- Specialist car rallies
- Charity fundraisers
- Craft fairs
- Birthday and anniversary parties
- Retirement celebrations
- Funeral receptions and wakes
- Corporate functions and away-days
Two short testimonials illustrate the range of occasions the vineyard has hosted:
- “Thank you both so much for everything you did for us to celebrate our Golden Wedding. We had such a wonderful day with family and friends, who were all very complimentary on the food and the great venue.” - Ann and Tony
- “Thank you very much indeed for giving my father the perfect birthday lunch party. You really pulled out all the stops for him.” - David and Pippa
Because the team is used to working with very different briefs, from intimate family lunches to larger charity and corporate gatherings, they are comfortable adapting both the catering and the layout of the space.
The Food: Six Menus to Choose From
Food at Highdown is prepared on site by the venue’s own chef and kitchen team, and the catering is organised into six distinct menus. Hosts pick the style that suits their occasion, then choose dishes from the relevant list.
Celebration Cream Tea Menu
Designed for relaxed afternoon gatherings, the Cream Tea Menu offers a selection of finger sandwiches (free-range egg and cress, Scottish smoked salmon with cream cheese, hand-carved ham and mustard, and Sussex cheddar with Loft pickles and apricot chutney), a savoury selection (sausage rolls, mini quiches, duck spring rolls and mushroom vol-au-vents), homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, a choice of two homemade cakes (triple chocolate brownie, coffee and walnut, lemon drizzle, apple and cinnamon, wholemeal orange with Earl Grey icing, or classic Victoria sponge), and unlimited tea and coffee.
Highdown Buffet Menu
Intended for 30 or more guests, the buffet is built around three hot or substantial dishes, three salads and two desserts. Main options include honey, mustard and soy-roasted chicken thighs, cold poached salmon, old Sussex cheddar and leek tart, salmon coubliac, hand-carved ham, West Sussex pork and leek sausages and a Sussex blue cheese tart. Salads range from warm new potatoes with chives and heritage tomato with basil pesto to rice, red pepper and cashew salad. Desserts include classic English trifle, lemon meringue roulade, vanilla cheesecake, dark chocolate torte, Eton mess and nectarine and passion-fruit pavlova.
BBQ Menu
For summer events, the BBQ Menu offers Sussex lamb burgers, minced-steak burgers, local sausages, free-range chicken thighs in BBQ sauce, sea bream parcels (with a £2 supplement), Sussex blue cheese and red onion quiche, and halloumi and roasted pepper burgers. Three salads from the list and two desserts (Eton mess, chocolate and cherry trifle, fresh fruit salad, lemon cheesecake or chocolate truffle torte) are included. The price includes proper china and cutlery rather than disposables.
Traditional Favourites Menu
A more classic sit-down option, the Traditional Favourites Menu offers a choice of starter (smoked ham and peaches, smoked salmon with lemon and caper dressing, smoked mackerel pâté, chicken liver pâté, or roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup), two main courses from a list that includes Sussex pork and leek sausages with spring onion mash, homemade fish pie, shepherd’s or cottage pie, roast free-range chicken, lamb moussaka and mushroom risotto, plus a dessert of seasonal fruit crumble, chocolate bread and butter pudding, Eton mess, tarte au citron or traditional English trifle.
Canapé Menu
For drinks receptions, six canapés are chosen from a list that includes prosciutto and tomato chutney on croustini, crispy duck spring rolls with plum sauce, chicken satay, vegetable spring rolls, smoked salmon bilinis, chicken liver pâté on mini brioche, honey and mustard cocktail sausages, tempura prawns, mini Melba toasts, tapenade and Parmesan palmiers, mini quiches, onion bhajee, vegetable samosas, cucumber and feta bites, salt beef on rye and chorizo, peperonata and olive crostini.
Wedding Breakfast Menu
The most formal option is the Wedding Breakfast Menu: two starters (salmon and prawn timbale; walnut, avocado, papaya and pomegranate salad; country pork and herb terrine; or Parma ham with julienne carrots and Parmesan), two main courses plus a vegetarian option (roast sirloin of Sussex beef with Yorkshire pudding; roast free-range chicken supreme; cheese and parsnip roulade; braised beef with port and Guinness; slow-roast belly of pork; braised lamb shank with red wine and rosemary jus; poached salmon fillet with crayfish butter; or wild mushroom and thyme tart), and two desserts from summer pudding with clotted cream, hazelnut banoffee roulade, classic petit pot au chocolat, lemon meringue roulade, or gooseberry and elderflower fool with ginger snaps.
Wine Tastings and Group Visits
Beyond private events, the vineyard welcomes group visits and wine tastings. The team arranges wine tastings, group visits, function hire, wedding receptions and other enquiries direct with prospective visitors. For an English vineyard, that combination of on-the-door hospitality and a working venue is fairly unusual, and it makes Highdown a useful stop for anyone curious about Sussex wine production in the context of a day out on the coast.
Planning a Visit or Booking an Event
Highdown encourages prospective hosts to visit in person to walk the grounds, meet the team and discuss plans before committing. To arrange a viewing, ask about menus, prices and availability, or book a wine tasting or group visit:
- Call Aly or Paul on 01903 500 663
- Email info@highdown-vineyard.co.uk
- Send a message via the contact form
- Follow the vineyard on Facebook and Instagram for the latest photos, news and behind-the-scenes updates from the vineyard.
Find Us
Highdown Vineyard
Littlehampton Road
Ferring
West Sussex
BN12 6PG
The vineyard sits between Littlehampton and Worthing, just off the A259, with the South Downs rising behind it. It is one of a growing number of small, family-run Sussex vineyards that combine winemaking with weddings, hospitality and events, and it offers a particularly flexible option for couples and hosts who want the vines themselves to be part of the day.