Oastbrook Estate

We had the pleasure of staying at the hobbit house in February, 2023 and it was exactly as we hoped the experience would be. There is a fenced off area so you can enjoy your little hobbit garden, in my view best done within its private hot tub. The house is beautifully designed with circular windows, which my son used to enjoy sitting on the inside ledge, relaxing, and my favourite feature was the large circular heavy door that gave a satisfying creak when opened. The facilities balance furnishings related to the Hobbit theme, with modern conveniences, the hobbit theme distracted our boys for about 40 minutes before they were asking for the wifi codes), as well as information about the Vineyard and local area. It was clear that a lot of thought had been put into the houses design, such as the hedging hiding the outside bin, the positioning of the house and facilities making it seem that it is in the middle of nowhere; you can sit in the hot tub admiring the house, or gaze out over the vineyard and fields. This was wonderfully relaxing and no doubt a sight to see once the vines are growing. America and Nick were wonderful hosts (as well as Laura their Labrador who would approach to say hello whenever our paths crossed); America ensured she popped by to say hello and during this brief meeting it was clear she was passionate about both the Vineyard; where they make awarding winning wines, as well as the local area. It fact the hardest part of the trip was leaving our temporary hobbit home to explore the attractions within the local area. We popped to Hastings Beach prior to c and had a walk around Bodiam Castle, as well as an explore of the fields around the Vineyard. However, we were happiest when playing Uno, watching movies as a family (the house has copies of the Hobbit) or relaxing in the hot tub. We would have no hesitation booking again.
Feb 9th, 2023

We have just returned from a fantastic 4 night stay at the Avalon Waterside lodge at Oastbrook Estate Vineyard. From the moment we arrived and met with the owners Nick and America we knew this place was special. The accommodation was to a very high standard and the views around were stunning. We can highly recommend this place plus we took the opportunity to sample some of the excellent wine from their vineyard. We definitely will be back to stay plus include a vineyard tour next time.
Dec 29th, 2022

Oct 20th, 2022

A group of us were camping nearby and did the vineyard tour. This was very interesting (our guide America was very enthusiastic) and we learnt a lot about the ups and downs of growing grapes. Turns out not to be a vocation for the light hearted, with a lot of commitment required. Following the tour we sampled some of the estates wines, with a talk by Nick. The wines were very good, with a sample of nice local cheeses to go with them. The only let down was that we had booked four children in on the kids vineyard tour, which states "Your children will enjoy a dedicated tour of the vineyard". We had expected something vineyard related, but it turned out to be just babysitting and playing games. Something our 10 & 14 yos were not impressed with, who were expecting to learn something and see more of the process, like the winery etc. Maybe they can take a leaf out of the National Trust's book and look at ways they have tried to engage children of all ages (such as a treasure hunt type games and information panels)?
Sep 30th, 2022

Sep 12th, 2022