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EXPLORE ANCIENT OAK WOODLANDS, WILDLIFE & VINEYARDS.

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Hush Heath Estate Since 1503

A FAMILY-RUN ESTATE BUILT ON HERITAGE, HARVEST AND HOSPITALITY.

Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn bought the 16th-century Manor near Staplehurst in 1986. But it wasn’t until 2001 that the family acquired the 400-acre estate that surrounds the house. The Estate, originally a working farm, was put up for auction unexpectedly and, having looked over the land for many years, Richard felt it was too good an opportunity to miss. So with little more than avid interest in vineyards and a genuine passion for wine he bought the land and planted the first vineyard with Leslie in 2002.

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OUR MISSION

PUTTING ENGLISH WINE ON THE MAP

When 10,000 bottles of Balfour Brut Rosé, made from the first harvest in 2004, won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge in 2008, the Estate was officially on the wine map and there was no turning back. An exciting journey to create England’s finest wine had begun.

Over the following years Richard formed a team of experts in the field who in turn assisted him with creating a state-of-the-art Winery and tasting room on the Hush Heath Estate, which opened in 2010. This later was developed further with the addition of an award-winning visitors centre overlooking the landscape. This now functions as a centre for English wine excellence and discovery, with production, education and winemaking at its heart.

From the vineyards through to the wine-making and presentation, Hush Heath stands for premium quality in all aspects.

Richard Balfour-Lynn, Producer, Hush Heath Estate & Winery

OUR ENVIRONMENT

WOODLAND & WILDLIFE

Hush Heath Estate is a living, breathing exhibition of some of Kent’s finest flora and fauna. Barns owls, fallow deer, and buzzards among other indigenous insects and animals have all made their home in the ancient oak woodland and wildflower meadows of the Estate.

OUR SURROUNDINGS

VINEYARDS & APPLE ORCHARDS

Our Estate is maintained by The Turner family, who have an innate understanding of our soil and climate and a love for every vine planted. They take a hands-on approach in the vineyards, inspecting them daily, and being careful that each decision for the current vintage supports the best possible outcome for the following year. Using our own team ensures that our viticulture is of the highest quality and precision, giving us clean and wonderful tasting juice. Conserving today for the future of tomorrow is Heath Heath’s promise.

Our Nature

HUSH HEATH BEES

There is an industrious and irreplaceable colony of honeybees helping to pollinate our vines and provide us with delicious Hush Heath Honey- which is available to purchase from the Cellar Door on the Estate.

OUR INSPIRATION

ART ON THE ESTATE

There is an integral link between wine and art throughout history. Both evoke emotion and are subjective to the individual. Both are created with passion and have unlimited creative potential. The ever-growing art collection at Hush Heath Estate is visible everywhere you look, from our tasting room and throughout the grounds of the estate. Featuring paintings, collages and photography, and eye-catching, oversized sculptures, our collection is a source of great pride and inspiration and a must-see on any visit.

OUR INSPIRATION

Zebra by Nicholas Johnson

Johnson studied at Brighton College of Art before moving onto the Slade School of Fine Art until 1964. Primarily a sculptor, Johnson works in wood and bonze. His life-size sculptures of animals and birds are the result of assiduous planning and physically demanding labour. Johnson spent 20 years living in Africa, where art is so overwhelmingly three dimensional, inspiring him to think in sculptural terms.

OUR INSPIRATION

Praca de Touros by Nandipha Mntambo

Suitably located in our female Winemaker Victoria Ash's office, Mntambo's work address ongoing debates around traditional gender roles, body politics and identity. She works in photography, sculpture, video and mixed media to explore the liminal boundaries between human and animal, femininity and masculinity, attraction and repulsion, life and death.

OUR INSPIRATION

The Potter With Lee, Before Bed by Henry Hudson

Hudson's 'Hominidae' series explores a series of ten portraits of his family. The title of the series refers to the taxonomic classification of the 'great apes' of which two of the main groups are humans and chimapanzees. The series looks at physical and psychological traits and collective characteristics of different members of his family, brought together under this one classification.

OUR INSPIRATION

Geese in Flight by David Norris

Co-owner of the Hush Heath Estate, Leslie Balfour-Lynn, was given ‘Geese in Flight’ by her parents Nannette and Richard Stewart. They originally brought the geese from a gallery in London for their home in the South of France, before passing it onto Leslie. It seems fitting that the geese have flown back to England and come to rest in front of Nannette’s vines here on the Hush Heath Estate.

The artist, David Norris is a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, after studying sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools, London. David works on both figurative and abstract pieces, concentrating on architectural and landscape bronzes and stainless-steel pieces.

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Discover our state-of-the-art Winery and Tasting Room ‘The View’.

Our newly renovated building offers spectacular facilities, with sweeping views across the estate. Enjoy a tasting of our award-winning wines in the comfort of our new tasting room, browse the Cellar Door shop and discover the mastery of English wine in our Winery.

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Visit Hush Heath Estate

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Hush Heath Estate

Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst, Tonbridge TN12 0HT
+44 (0)1622 832 794

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