New Hall Vineyards


The New Hall Vineyards are in the village of Purleigh, to the east of Chelsford. The first recorded English vineyard in Purleigh was planted in around 1120 only 400 yards from the present New Hall Vineyard, where George Washington's great great grandfather was the rector, until the Puritans removed him from office for tippling too much of the local brew!

The wines from the Purleigh Vineyard were consumed locally until 1163, when the vineyard became Crown property. Subsequently all the wine produced at the vineyard was taken to London for the King of England except in 1207 when two "tuns" (or barrels, about 360 bottles today) were taken to Bury St Edmunds in readiness for the arrival of King John at a cost of 18s 6d - about a penny for four bottles.

New Hall was established in 1969 by the Greenwood family and has steadiliy grown over the years to become the largest vineyard in East Anglia with over 102 acres of vines. Situated on an almost ideal site for an English vineyard and New Hall produces 270,000 bottles of English wine each year. New Hall have won 83 international awards for quality of which 42 have been Gold and Silver Medals.

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