With English and Welsh Wine Week (June 18-26) in mind, South Western Railway's (SWR) research revealed which UK vineyards are the most beautiful and one in Gloucestershire made the top 10 list.
SWR created a seed list of 268 visitable vineyards from Wine Cellar Door against Instagram hashtags, the number of 5-star Tripadvisor reviews and the number of times ‘beautiful’, ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous’ were mentioned in reviews.
These metrics were then put in a weighted rank and each was awarded a beauty score out of 100 - the data was collected in April 2022.
A glass of red wine in front of a sunset (Canva)
Gloucestershire vineyard named in top 10 most beautiful vineyards according to research
According to the research, Woodchester Valley Vineyard came out in joint ninth position scoring 31 out of 100 with 802 Instagram hashtags and 494 5-star Tripadvisor reviews under its belt.
Tripadvisor reviews that mention ‘beautiful’, ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous’ totaled 150.
The Vineyard Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex also received a score of 31 with 945 Instagram hashtags, 281 5-star Tripadvisor reviews and 185 mentions of ‘beautiful’, ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous’.
However, at the top of the list sits Llanerch Vineyard in Pontyclun, Wales with an overall beauty score of 69, followed by Chapel Down in Kent that secured the second place spot with 59 and Devon’s Lympstone Manor with 51 in third place.
People making a toast with glasses of red wine (Canva)
The UK’s most beautiful vineyards ahead of English and Welsh Wine Week 2022
1. Llanerch Vineyard, Pontyclun – 69
2. Chapel Down, Kent – 59
3. Lympstone Manor, Devon – 51
4. Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey – 48
5. Chiltern Valley Winery & Brewery, Oxfordshire – 41
=5. Nyetimber Manor Vineyard, West Sussex – 41
7. Holmfirth Vineyard, West Yorkshire – 34
8. Camel Valley Vineyard, Cornwall – 32
9. Woodchester Valley Vineyard, Gloucestershire – 31
=9. The Vineyard Leonardslee Gardens, West Sussex - 31
Grapes in a vineyard (Canva)
Calli Ward, head of marketing at South Western Railway, said: “It’s fantastic to see we have such a beautiful array of wine estates and vineyards to explore right here in the UK. We are particularly proud of the wonderful options on our doorstep in the southwest.
“Whether there’s one right around the corner, or you’re travelling further afield, the vineyards are especially impressive to visit between spring and autumn, as the vines and grapes grow throughout these seasons.
"While you’re there you can try the wines produced on site, many of which are award-winning, go on a tour, or even stay overnight, and really get a taste of what the UK has to offer!”
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