Luxury Staycation at Flint Barns, Rathfinny Wine Estate
Rathfinny Wine Estate - Staycation in Sussex
Location: Sussex
Price: ££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Weekend Break, Staycations close to London, WFH Break
Rathfinny vineyards
COVID-19 Safety Measure:
All staff and guests wear masks indoors
Hand sanitiser available in communal areas
Breakfast is table service, booked in advance and limited to hotel guests only
Social distancing in place
Arriving at Rathfinny Wine Estate is a sight to behold. Composed of a magnificent 600-acres of vineyards, the views of the undulating hill scape are awe-inspiring.
Rathfinny is one of the UK’s largest vineyards and produces top quality wine, and when searching for a weekend staycation close to London, I couldn’t find a more mesmerising destination.
Location
The Rathfinny Estate is located between Brighton and Eastbourne, in the South Downs National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty in Southern England. The Estate itself is located in the town of Alfriston and encompasses a variety of buildings, including restaurants, shops and of the Flint Barns accommodation.
Getting to Rathfinny isn’t difficult, as although it is rural, the drive from central London is less than 90 minutes. The closest station is Berwick, which is 90 minutes from central London and a 10 minute drive to the Estate.
Flint Barns Court yard
The Accommodation
The bedrooms are located in Flint Barnes, which is nestled in Cradle Valley and offers picturesque views of the surrounding vineyards and South Downs National Park.
The Flint Barns have been recently renovated and now boast elegant vaulted ceilings, natural woods, and plenty of glass letting the natural light flood in and stunning views flood in. There are 10 en-suite bedrooms available, which creates a cosy, personal feel, as there aren't loads of guests walking around.
I loved the decor at Flint Barns and especially in the bedrooms, as it successfully fused country-chic with industrial vintage to create a soothing and appealing aesthetic.
We stayed in Dukes Green bedroom on the ground floor, which was a large double bedroom with a spacious seating area, modern en-suite and views of the grounds.
I was really impressed with the thought that had gone into the interior design of the room, as small touches such as moody spot-lighting in the right places, relaxing foliage, and a consistent colour theme of regal green tied the aesthetic of the whole room together.
Our room had a kettle, espresso machine and tea and coffee, as well as a comfy couch where I snuggled up with a good book before dinner.
Although the sounds from the plumbing for the rooms around us was loud at times, the double bed was super comfortable and the blackout blinds meant that we had a restful night’s sleep.
The Flint Bars, also has a large and ultra cosy lounge for guests, which includes a wood burning stove, relaxed seating as well as newspapers, books and board games too. This space reminded me of a cosy country pub and is ideal for those who need to catch-up on some work or reading.
There is also an idyllic courtyard towards the back of Flint Barns which is a lovely spot to enjoy a drink after a long walk amongst the vineyard.
Dining Options
Picnic Lunch
During my stay at Rathfinny, I booked myself a Vineyard Picnic lunch to enjoy the beautiful views.
The picnic is delivered to your bench in a crate and includes a host of delights such as sourdough baguette, chickpea hummus, Bombay potato and mango salad. The picnic also includes a jar of choice from ham hock and summer peas, marinate squid or English asparagus.
For dessert there was a delicious Summer pudding made from local berries and creme fraiche panna cotta. Of course we also enjoyed a fantastic bottle of Rathfinny Classic Cuvèe which made for a lovely relaxing meal in the sunshine.
The portions were large and definitely enough to keep you filled up for a few hours, which I was impressed by as often picnic portions can be on the smaller side. They also provide blankets if it isn’t quite warm enough, and there is also a marquee which you could sit under if it starts to rain.
Dinner:
Rathfinny has 2 restaurants on site, one of which is the high-end Tasting Room that serves modern British cuisine and boasts a gallery offering spectacular views of the landscape. They also have Flint Barnes Dining Rooms, which is located next to the accommodation and offers a more relaxing atmosphere and wholesome and comforting dishes.
We dined at the Flint Barnes Dining Room which has a set menu with between 4-5 dishes to choose from in each course.
We opted for a three-course meal which started with Flint Owl Bread and Sussex butter for the table to start. For starters we tried the Burrata di buffala, which marinated local heritage tomato and roquette pesto. The tomatoes were juicy, full of flavour, and whetted our appetite for more.
For our main course we tried the South Coast battered day boat fish, crunchy triple cooked chips, tartare and peas. As well as Fosse Meadow chicken, asparagus and Jersey Royal potatoes on the side. The chicken was moist and well seasoned and the addition of the potatoes made this into a hearty dish.
We also enjoyed freshly made warm honey madeleines with butterscotch for dessert which was absolutely divine. The madeleines were soft and almost pillowy and the butterscotch was utterly moreish - we could have definitely eaten a double helping of this!
A two-course meal here is £30 and a three-course meal is £35, and they serve the selection of Rathfinny red, white, rose and sparkling wines with the meal.
Breakfast
After a relaxing night’s sleep we headed just a few feet away to breakfast. Breakfast is served at the table and includes cereals, pastries, yogurts and a cooked dish. I tried the Burford Brown egg on toasted sourdough which is cooked to order and provided a wholesome breakfast.
Unfortunately they don’t have a coffee machine yet so we had to settle for a cafetiere of coffee, which was more than sufficient.
Overall
I was really impressed with the renovated Flint Barnes, as the bedrooms were designed to a high level with practical, comfort and aesthetic in mind.
The acres of grape vines are beautiful and exactly what is needed to reset and unwind. Although it wasn’t blues skies and sunshine throughout our stay, it didn’t dampen our visit and it was still lovely to spend time in the lounge area and even relaxing in the large bedroom.
I really enjoyed my stay at Rathfinny Wine Estate and it is a fantastic option for those looking for an idyllic restful location for a short getaway close to London.
Additional Activities
Wine Tour and Tasting Sessions available
On-site shop selling Rathfinny wines
Self-guided walking routes
Additional Facilities
Cots available
Roll away beds available
Free parking
Dogs welcome
Address: Rathfinny Wine Estate, Alfriston, East Sussex, BN26 5TU, England
Phone: 01323 874 030
COVID Note: Please make sure to check and abide by government travel guidelines. Please also respect the rules and regulations of the hotel to keep you and other guests safe. Thanks!
My stay was complimentary, all opinions are my own.
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