Local Stories, National Growth: Discover the Leonardslee Estate This English Tourism Week
Experiencing Leonardslee: Gardens, Wine, Dining, and More
English Tourism Week, 13-22 March, celebrates the destinations, businesses and people that shape travel across the country. At Leonardslee in West Sussex, that story unfolds across historic gardens, vineyards, restaurants, hotels and golf courses, all working together to create one of the region’s most distinctive visitor destinations.
At the heart of the estate are Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, a 240-acre Grade I Listed landscape of woodland walks, lakes, rare plant collections and seasonal colour. Restored to the vision of Sir Edmund Loder, the gardens welcome visitors year-round and support a dedicated team of horticulturalists, conservation specialists, visitor services and events staff, whose work preserves this historic landscape for future generations.
Set within Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, Leonardslee House offers an elegant place to stay, allowing guests to immerse themselves fully in the landscape, from early morning walks in the gardens to evenings overlooking the surrounding woodland and lakes. The historic house provides a refined countryside retreat, combining heritage character with contemporary comfort.
Within Leonardslee House is Restaurant Interlude, the estate’s Michelin-starred restaurant, which celebrates seasonal ingredients through immersive tasting menus inspired by the surrounding landscape, while championing foraged elements and close relationships with local growers and suppliers. Each menu reflects the rhythms of the estate itself, connecting guests to the land through flavour, craftsmanship and storytelling.
Together, Leonardslee House and Restaurant Interlude add a distinctive layer to the estate’s visitor experience, offering destination dining and overnight stays that sit naturally alongside the gardens, vineyards and wider estate.
Three miles away, the estate continues into a modern chapter with Leonardslee Family Vineyards, where award-winning English sparkling wines are produced from estate-grown grapes. The vineyard reflects the evolving character of Leonardslee, blending traditional land stewardship with contemporary winemaking, guided tastings and vineyard tours that showcase Sussex as one of England’s leading wine regions.
Wine and food come together at Leonardslee Wine Estate, home to elegant accommodation, wine experiences and The Vineyard Kitchen that offers relaxed, seasonal dining overlooking the golf course creating an experience rooted firmly in place.
Completing the estate is Mannings Heath Golf Club, set among ancient woodland and rolling countryside. With two highly regarded courses, hospitality spaces and events facilities, the club attracts golfers from across the UK and forms an integral part of the estate’s visitor offering, extending stays and supporting year-round tourism beyond the gardens alone.
Together, these destinations form a connected journey. Guests may explore the gardens in the morning, enjoy lunch among the vines, sample estate wines in the afternoon, dine at Restaurant Interlude in the evening and wake to views across the Sussex countryside before a round of golf the next day. For groups, tour operators and independent travellers alike, Leonardslee offers the rare opportunity to experience multiple attractions within a single estate.
Beyond the visitor experience, Leonardslee supports hundreds of local jobs, specialist skills and independent suppliers across horticulture, hospitality, viticulture, events, tourism and conservation. Each booking, meal, ticket and overnight stay contributes to the long-term care of this historic landscape and to the wider Sussex visitor economy.
This English Tourism Week, Leonardslee celebrates the people behind the scenes, the heritage that defines the estate and the role tourism plays in sustaining both. From gardens to vineyards, from fine dining to fairways, Leonardslee is proud to be one local story contributing to national growth.
