About

The Alfriston Heritage Centre is located in the Gun Room, next to St Andrews Church, on the Tye (the village green) in the centre of the historic village of Alfriston.

The fascinating history of the Cuckmere Valley and Alfriston village, from small coastal port town to smugglers enclave, is chronicled on five large panels, together with a copy of the famous De Ward Survey map of 1618. The rich history of the Cuckmere is displayed on the mezzanine floor of the Gun Room, space kindly donated by the Rathfinny Wine Estate.

The building commands fabulous views of St Andrews Church, known locally as the Cathedral of the South Downs, and the Tye. There is also a good selection of Alfriston history books to browse and teas and coffees are on offer.

The panels are beautifully illustrated and are the result of many hours of work by local Alfriston and Cuckmere Historical Society. They accurately chart the history of the area as well as the Gun Room itself, so named as it was used to store a large cannon for The Duke of Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars.

For wine lovers, information is displayed detailing the history of wine making in England and the history of the Rathfinny Wine Estate. There is also a mesmerizing video of time-lapse photography showing the growth of the Rathfinny vineyards and the building of the new winery.

Rathfinny Wine Estate is situated on downland just south of Alfriston, below Cradle Hill and is one of England's largest single site Vineyards.

Tours of the Rathfinny Wine Estate and Winery can be booked in the Gun Room and leave from the Gun Room twice daily on Fridays and Saturdays.

Alfriston Heritage Centre is situate upstairs at the Gun Room, the retail outlet for Rathfinny Wine Estate. It has disabled access and toilets to the shop below but not to the Heritate Centre which is on the mezzanine floor.