The story of Squerryes is one of patience and stewardship

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With its rolling Kentish parkland, ancient oaks and orderly rows of vines, the Squerryes Estate is a place many pass through without fully noticing. Yet across its 2,500 acres, stretching from north of Edenbridge towards Biggin Hill, the land tells a quiet story of stewardship and patience, shaped by a long-held family commitment to care for the estate and pass on its legacy.

At the heart of the estate sits Squerryes Court, home to the Warde family for almost 300 years. Today, it’s cared for by Henry Warde, eighth-generation custodian, his wife Claire and their four children, continuing a tradition rooted in respect for the land and landscape. The family motto, Licet Esse Beatis — it is permitted to be joyful — set in stained glass above the front door at Squerryes Court, underpins everything at Squerryes, from how the vineyards are planted to how guests are welcomed, and how every vintage is blended and bottled.

The introduction of winemaking to the family’s legacy came about in the early noughties when a French Champagne house visited the estate with an interest in buying land to plant their own vines. Climate change in the Champagne region was causing long-term problems that were difficult to manage. But rather than sell some of the land, the family decided to plant their own vines, guided by a belief in the land’s potential and a long-term commitment to shaping the estate’s future.

Sitting at a higher altitude than many English vineyards, Squerryes benefits from long, cool summers that slows the ripening of the grapes and preserves naturally high acidity. The chalk soil adds to this freshness and balance, making the site particularly well suited to producing elegant, age-worthy sparkling wines. The vineyard is planted with the three classic Champagne grape varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier– grown with the same intent and discipline found in the world’s great sparkling wine regions. Following the same traditional method of making sparkling wine, a second fermentation takes place in the bottle, creating fine, persistent bubbles and layered complexity of flavours that develop over time.

Henry and his father John planted the first vines in 2004. John famously described the years between planting and producing the first vintage as “the long thirsty wait” — a period defined by patience, belief and careful nurturing. Now supported by a skilled vineyard team and Head Winemaker, that early commitment has grown into a confident, considered approach. From winter pruning to autumn harvest, plus the quiet focus of the winery to the pop of a cork in celebration, each bottle reflects not a single moment but a continuum of decisions, underpinned by the terroir.

Yet Squerryes has never been just about what’s in the glass.

The estate has grown into a setting for shared, joyful experiences: long lunches in the Winery Restaurant, a la carte dinners at the weekends, shelves of local produce in the Deli, tastings that invite conversation, and a Cellar Door with a Master of Wine curated selection of English and international wines. It’s a place people linger. Tables fill, particularly on the terrace in summer, where outdoor dining stretches into long afternoons and warm evenings overlooking the estate. Throughout the year, events mark the changing seasons, from harvest moments to festive gatherings, drawing familiar faces back time and again.

That sense of joy is intentional. Whether visitors come for a single glass, a case to take home, or an afternoon that turns into evening, the aim is the same: to make Squerryes feel like part of your family, from the life defining celebrations to the simple act of sharing a bottle at home. For members, that relationship deepens further, with a closer connection to the estate, early access to new vintages and exclusive events, plus the feeling of being part of Squerryes’ ongoing story rather than simply passing through.

Today, Squerryes continues to evolve, guided by the same principles that brought vines to the estate in the first place. Respect for land. Belief in craft. An understanding that value is built slowly, over time. Like the best places, it carries its story modestly, allowing people to discover it in their own way – one visit, one season, one vintage at a time.

To be permitted to be joyful is not about excess or display, but about care and shared moments. It’s found in the steady rhythm of the vineyard, in seasonal food, locally sourced and enjoyed together, in wine made with patience and opened with intention. At Squerryes, joy isn’t hurried or imposed. It’s cultivated quietly, season by season, and passed on – just like the estate itself.