About the vineyard
Nestled between the picturesque villages of Old Warden and Cardington, vines were first planted on this beautiful Bedfordshire field in medieval times by monks at the Cistercian Abbey of Warden.
Warden Abbey was one of seven Cistercian monasteries to cultivate vines in England and Wales, with the monks planting a Great Vineyard (possibly about 24 acres) and an adjoining Little Vineyard (just over 16 acres), probably before the end of the 12th century.
There was no evidence of grape-growing after the abbey was surrendered to the Crown in 1537, until Lady Whitbread replanted part of the Little Vineyard in 1986. The Whitbread family produced award-winning wines right up until their final vintage in 2008.
Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity has leased the vineyard since 2010, and developed it as a unique resource for the local community.
The modern vineyard was planted with five white grape varieties – Müller-Thurgau, Madeleine Angevine, Bacchus, Regner and Reichensteiner.
The Madeleine Angevine and Regner blocks have since been grubbed up, and we are planting more Bacchus and Reichensteiner as part of our work to restore the vineyard to full productivity. Help us by donating a vine.
The Vineyard year
November to March
Repairs to trellis and rabbit fencing
November to March
Pruning the dormant vines
From March
Layering vines. Grass cutting between the vine rows.
April/May
Weed, pest and disease control. Taping up the pruned vines to the wires
May
"Bud rubbing" - removing unwanted buds that sprout from the main trunk. This saves the plant's energies for the fruit. Planting new vines.
June/July
"Tucking in" - Positioning new shoots within the supporting trellis wire to get maximum sunlight
August/September
Trimming shoots back to control the leaf canopy. Stripping some leaves in the fruiting zone.
September
OPEN DAY - come and visit the vineyard and see the grapes before harvest. Bring your friends for a great day out.
October
Harvest!!
