Best Vineyards for Self Guided Tours in Essex

Pack a picnic to enjoy in the gardens or vineyard during your self-guided tour. Wine from Bardfield Vineyard is available for purchase at the cellar door and shop. Children are welcome, and dogs are also permitted, likely on leads.

The self-guided trail costs £3 and can be explored on weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm, with no prior booking required. Maps are available from the wine shop to guide you through the vineyard, the walled garden, the Grade I listed Anne of Cleves Barn, woodland, and farmland. Allow about 1 hour and 30 minutes for the trail. Afterwards, you can visit the tasting room and cellar door to purchase wines. Accommodation is also available on the estate in newly refurbished barn conversions.

Saffron Grange Vineyard welcomes you to explore. While picnics from home are not permitted, you can purchase a bottle of their sparkling wine to enjoy on-site, complemented by optional cheese, charcuterie, or seafood plates. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads. Please note that children are not allowed on tours and tastings, though babes in arms are an exception. After your experience, you can visit the gift shop or relax in the tasting room, which transforms into a vibrant spot with an open bar and food trucks during "Sundowners" events on select summer Friday evenings.

Pack a picnic to enjoy at the vineyard's grass area equipped with picnic benches. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in this area and in a small section of the terrace during quieter times. Children are also welcome, with a dedicated children's menu available.

After exploring, you can relax at the on-site Wine Barn and Terrace, which offers indoor and outdoor seating. Here, you can sample the vineyard's wines or enjoy a full menu including brunch, lunch, afternoon teas, and daily specials prepared to complement their wines.

Pack a picnic with delicious, locally-sourced food, available from the vineyard, and enjoy a bottle of wine purchased from the cellar door on-site. Dogs are welcome on leads to explore the vineyard trails, and children are also welcome on the grounds but must be supervised at all times, especially near the pond. After your self-guided exploration, unwind at the tasting barn and shop, which functions as a wine bar for enjoying glasses or tasting flights of their award-winning wines.

Pack a picnic and grab a bottle of wine from the Cellar Door Shop to enjoy on the picnic benches among the vines. Kids and well-behaved dogs on leads are very welcome on the vineyard trail and in the Cellar Door Shop. While there isn't an on-site cafe or restaurant, a local pub, The Purleigh Bell, is recommended and stocks New Hall wines. On select "Cellar Door Social Saturdays" in summer, visitors can find pop-up food vendors and a bar.