Kent Wine Tours / Vineyards / Terlingham
Vineyard guide · Hawkinge
Visiting Terlingham Vineyard
Terlingham is a small, sustainably farmed vineyard in the hills behind Folkestone, with a Tasting Barn that looks out over the vines to the Channel. It makes sparkling and still wine and a Bacchus gin. Visits are by pre-booked walk and tasting on Fridays and Saturdays, and the cheese option is worth the extra.
Terlingham at a glance
| Known for | Classic Cuvée sparkling wines, still rosé and Bacchus Dry Gin |
|---|---|
| Awards | Great British Food Awards Best Sparkling Wine (2022); Classic Cuvée Sparkling Rosé, London and South East winner, Great British Food Awards (2024); still rosé Highly Commended, Great British Food Awards (2022) |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Bacchus and Dornfelder |
| Open | Vineyard walks and tastings on Fridays and Saturdays, at 11am or 3pm. Other dates by email. Shop closed Friday to Sunday from 13 November to 20 December 2026 |
| Booking | Pre-booking essential, online or by email. Groups by phone or email |
| Tours from | £40 |
| Food | Cheese, cured meats, breads and olives with the £65 Wine and Cheese Experience |
| Stay | B&B at the winery |
| By train | Folkestone Central, where taxis wait |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in November 2026.
About Terlingham
Terlingham sits up on the downs at Hawkinge, just inland from Folkestone, and on a clear day the view runs over the vines to the English Channel. It describes itself as a boutique, family-run producer of wines and spirits, and it is part of the Kentish Wine Way, the route linking more than 30 Kent vineyards.
The farming is the part Terlingham talks about most. It is certified by Sustainable Wines of Great Britain and follows regenerative methods, with cover crops, minimal soil disturbance and as little spraying as possible, and it says it is carbon negative. A bee sanctuary went in on the grounds in 2024.
The winemaking is done with Defined Wine, and Terlingham also takes fruit from a small network of local vineyards. Alongside the wine there is a Bacchus Dry Gin, made with the estate’s Bacchus.
The wines
The sparkling wines are the ones to taste. The Classic Cuvée Rosé is the bottle that won its region at the 2024 Great British Food Awards, and the Classic Cuvée Sparkling White sits beside it, with an older 2019 Limited Edition of the white for a few pounds more. On the still side there is a Pinot Noir and Dornfelder rosé. Gin drinkers should try the Bacchus Dry Gin, which uses the estate’s Bacchus wine. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Terlingham
There is no drop-in tasting here. Everything runs through the two weekly sessions, so book before you go. We would pay the extra for the cheese version. There is no café on site, and the food turns the tasting into lunch. If neither Friday nor Saturday works, the vineyard says other dates may be possible, so email and ask. In late autumn the team decamps to the Folkestone Harbour Arm Christmas market, and from 13 November to 20 December the vineyard shop is shut on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, which is easy to miss. Christmas collection orders close on 21 December 2026, and collections start again on 4 January 2027. Do not put the postcode into a satnav. The vineyard asks you to use Terlingham Lane instead.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard walk and tasting A walk through the vineyard, then a tasting of six sparkling and still wines in the refurbished Tasting Barn overlooking the vines and the Channel. Pre-booking essential. | £40 per person | – | Fridays and Saturdays, 11am or 3pm; other dates by email |
| Wine and Cheese Experience The same walk and tasting, with cheeses, cured meats, breads and olives and an extra glass of wine. | £65 per person | – | As above |
| Group and private bookings Group bookings and bespoke packages for occasions such as birthdays and hen dos, arranged by phone or email. | On request | – | By arrangement |
Book these on the Terlingham website.
Buy Terlingham wines
None of our wine partners has these wines in stock this week. The vineyard sells them in its own shop, or see our pick of English wines to buy online.
Getting there
By train, go to Folkestone Central, where taxis wait. There are none at Folkestone West. By car, leave the M20 at the Canterbury A260 exit just after the tunnel towards Dover, take Canterbury Road, turn right into Crete Road West near the top of the hill, then first right into Gibraltar Lane and first right again into Terlingham Lane at the vineyard sign. Parking is on the left about 200m along, just before the gates.
Make a day of it
Folkestone is just below the downs, and the Harbour Arm is where the vineyard runs its Christmas stall. Elham Valley Vineyard, near Barham, is also in this corner of Kent if you want a second stop.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Kent directory. Our other Kent vineyard guides: Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Balfour, Westwell, Warehorne, Silverhand, Domaine Evremond, Chartham, Yotes Court, Biddenden Vineyards, Simpsons’, Woodchurch, Mereworth, Oast Wood, The Mount, Brabourne.
Questions people ask
Can I just turn up for a tasting?
No. Tastings are pre-booked sessions on Fridays and Saturdays at 11am or 3pm. Email if you need another date.
Is the shop open before Christmas?
Not at weekends. From 13 November to 20 December the shop is shut Friday to Sunday while the team is at the Folkestone Harbour Arm Christmas market.
Which station should I use?
Folkestone Central. Taxis wait there, but not at Folkestone West.