The history of
the Wyck Estate
The Manor of Almshoe, in which The Wyck is located, is recorded as far back as the Doomsday book of 1086. The Wyck itself enters historical record in the reign of Henry VIII. Legend has it that the then owner of the manor house at Almshoe Bury Farm allowed his best farm hand to select a location to build a house and small holding. He obviously knew the land well because he selected the most stunning location with open views across the Stevenage valley up to Preston and Poynders End to the West.
The house was originally built as a hall, and has been remodeled on many occasions. A brewery, a pub, farm workers cottages and a gentlemen’s country residence are all recorded in it’s five hundred year history.
We purchased the house and surrounding land in 2021 and re unified aspects that had been separated during previous sales. It now is made up of 17 acres of land and around 10,000 square feet of dwelling and associated outbuildings.
From 100 years as a pasture to a vineyard….
metal detecting
Don’t we all love the Detectorists! After many approaches we allowed metal detectors on site during the preparation for the vineyard in 2022. To be honest we were amazed at the amount of stuff that was found and the range of dates the objects represented.
The earliest find has been a 2nd century Roman brooch with a wide variety covering the centuries between then and now. Below are pictures of some of the more interesting items and a brief description of what they are. Work is ongoing to try to fill in gaps or to hopefully discover a horde!
Edward III Silver coin 1250AD
17th Century Dutch cloth seal
Musket balls circa 17th Century
Our first Roman find from the vineyard. A second century disc brooch, still showing some enamel, the pin has long gone.
Reverse side of the Roman brooch
'Shield of France' Jetton from the reign of Charles VI. Late 14th Century
Copper Alloy Roman coin 1st - 4th Century The Wyck Estate Vineyard
Loom Weights
Shoe buckles
Livery button sill showing gold gilt