Vines from Ickworth House

Ickworth House near our Suffolk holiday cottages

Last Updated on March 9, 2023

Having visited Ickworth House last in October 2012 for the first time we found that they were selling off all the established grapevines in order to re-instate the vineyard to the way it would have been around the turn of the last century. It seemed a terrible shame that they were doing that as I don’t really see what harm a vineyard was doing to the look of the place!

The day came to go and dig up the vines we’d ordered and bring them back for planting around the gardens Woodfarm House and Barns, which are slightly smaller and possibly less grand than those of Ickworth

Jillian & Charles of Ickworth Vineyards were very helpful and hopefully we’ve managed to keep them alive (the vines, not Jillian & Charles) and successfully planted. We now have vines around the entrances to the farmhouse, around the pergola and against the walls of some of the barns

Hopefully we’ll find out next year when we hope to pick the grapes, take off our shoes and socks and produce some lovely bottles of red “Chateau Woodfarm”
Mmmmm, not sure about the name!

dA misty morning at Ickworth House

e

The Vineyard

 f    Wrapping the root ball in newspaper for the journey

g

The collective noun for vines is a ‘Carfull’

hKeeping them moist before we plant them

 i

Planting them all round the pergola

j