Suffolk · Stour Valley
The Vineyard
Painted by John Constable
‘The Stour Valley from Higham’
In 1804 John Constable painted 'The Stour Valley from Higham’ and it is widely believed that it was from one of our former fields that he captured the panoramic view which remains much the same as the one he painted in 1804.
The vineyard
South-facing slopes of the Stour Valley.
Higham sits on the north side of the valley facing south in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It was this aspect that attracted us to the idea of starting our vineyard originally. Further investigation revealed soil that was predominantly sand and stone based with a layer of humus above and testing also showed a neutral PH which was encouraging.
The land
Stoney Croft
The fields that made up the original small holding were known locally as Stoney Croft because of an abundance of flint and stone in the soil. The free draining nature of the land has generally been beneficial and this together with a healthy layer of humus top soil has helped us establish young vines, which have progressed well into maturity.