A new vineyard on historic ground.

The Wyck Estate is the home of our family, our vineyard and an idea that has grown rather more substantially than either of us first imagined.
Our Story

We are Andy and Charlotte Hammond. During our honeymoon, a conversation about our shared love of wine became the beginning of a vineyard. In 2021, we acquired The Wyck and its surrounding land; the following year, the first vines went into the ground.

We began with enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and a clear view of what we wanted to achieve: not simply to make English wine, but to make an English red wine we would be proud to put alongside serious examples from elsewhere.

The learning curve has been steep. We have listened to experienced growers and winemakers, learned the character of the land season by season and made every decision with the long term in mind.

What began as a bold idea is now a working estate, with thousands of vines and its first wine in bottle.

It remains deeply personal. The Wyck Estate is independent, family-run and intentionally small enough for us to remain close to every part of it.

Andy & Charlotte

The Vineyard

The vineyard occupies a sheltered part of the estate, with open views across the Hertfordshire countryside. Once pasture, the land is now planted with Pinot Noir and Cabaret Noir.

Our Pinot Noir clones - 777 and 115 - were selected for the complementary qualities they can bring to a blend. Clone 777 is associated with darker fruit, structure and spice; clone 115 with perfume, red fruit and finesse. Cabaret Noir offer depth, colour and resilience, helping us pursue ambitious red wines in the English climate.

The varieties may be different in character, but the purpose is shared: to make balanced, age-worthy wine that expresses the estate rather than a passing fashion.

The History of The Wyck

The Wyck lies within the historic Manor of Almshoe, recorded in Domesday Book in 1086. The estate itself enters the written record during the reign of Henry VIII.

Local tradition holds that the owner of nearby Almshoe Bury allowed a trusted farm worker to choose a place for a house and smallholding. He chose well: the site looks across the Stevenage valley towards Preston and Poynders End.

Over roughly five centuries, The Wyck has served at different times as a hall, brewery, public house, farm workers’ cottages and a gentleman’s country residence. We bought the house and surrounding land in 2021, reuniting parts of the estate that had been separated by earlier sales.

Today, The Wyck comprises 17 acres, with the vineyard marking the latest chapter in the land’s long working history.

Beneath The Vines

Preparing the ground for the vineyard revealed traces of lives lived here long before ours. Finds from the estate range from a second-century Roman enamelled brooch and Roman coin to medieval tokens, musket balls, buckles and a gilded livery button.

Together, they give a tangible sense of continuity: the vineyard may be new, but this has been productive and inhabited land for centuries.

Edward III Silver coin (1327 - 1377)

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

Volunteer at the vineyard

A vineyard is shaped by many hands. From pruning and tying down to canopy work, weeding and harvest, our volunteers have become an important part of life at The Wyck Estate.

No previous vineyard experience is necessary. We provide guidance, explain the work and make sure there is time to enjoy the setting and the company. Volunteer days take place at selected times through the growing season, with updates shared through our volunteer WhatsApp group.

If you would like to take part, we would be delighted to hear from you.

REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER

What our volunteers say

I’ve been very happy to help out when I can to support this very exciting new venture. It’s great to see an initiative like this unfold right on our doorstep in Hitchin. It’s also great to see the community get around it too with the same sense of enthusiasm. We’re all rooting ( and weeding and pruning and picking) for you!

Paul E

Grape picking at The Wyck was a wonderful new experience for me, with the opportunity to chat with lots of different volunteers throughout the day! The meal that Charlotte and Andy provided was the perfect way to end the morning! 

I also recently had the chance to taste the wine we helped pick, which made the experience even more rewarding!

I would 100% go grape picking again and would very much return to the same vineyard!! 

Overall, it was such a super fun experience, and would recommend others to try!

Bella O