Land agents Strutt & Parker are the leading agents for vineland in the South East of England.
The firm, founded in 1885 and now with 50 offices and 1000 staff, manages some 1.5m acres of land for 600 clients across 450 rural estates.
Over the past seven years Strutt & Parker has purchased for clients well in excess of 1000 acres in the South East as land for growing vines. Over half of it is planted with vineyards and already producing grapes for wine.
The market for English wine has never been better, with vineyards like Nyetimber in West Sussex, Ridgeview in East Sussex and dozens of others producing world-beating wines.
Over the past few years English producers have won numerous international awards, many of them competing against top Champagnes and sparkling wines.
Although very fine sparkling wines are made all over the south of England, the South East is considered by many to be the finest vineland.
Kent, with its loamy, free-draining soil and mild maritime climate is ideal for grape-growing, especially the early-ripening Champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Strutt & Parker are currently offering 37 acres of land suitable for viticulture for sale as a whole or in two lots at guide price of £12,800 per acre. To be transferred to the internet listing please click here
The land at Barham Court lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in a desirable location close to the historic city of Canterbury. Barham is a well sheltered village in a valley setting, lying at the heart of a region that is well known for its early vegetable and high quality fruit production. The land is situated just over 10 miles from the East Kent coast at Deal and less than 7 miles from Canterbury, a major tourist destination which benefits from excellent retail facilities and transport links with the new high speed railway.
The land at Barham Court comprises one productive arable field dissected by a public bridleway and is currently used for conventional combinable crop production. The land is also considered suitable for viticulture due to its location, aspect and free-draining loamy-chalk soil type. Experts consider that the land is ideal for the establishment of long term cropping vines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier for the production of high quality bottle fermented sparkling wine.
Lot 1 – 23 acres of arable
Approximately 23 acres of Grade 3 arable land.
The land is between75m and 100m above sea level, mainly south and south-west facing and benefits from access off Church Lane to the south. Boundary vegetation provides some shelter although additional windbreak planting may be beneficial for the purposes of viticulture. The soil is free-draining loam over chalk requiring no additional drainage and is ideally suited for the establishment of vines.
Lot 2 – 14 acres of arable
Approximately 14 acres of Grade 3 arable land.
The land is between 100m and 110m above sea level, mainly south and south-west facing, with access from the A260 on the northern boundary with very good sight lines. Boundary vegetation provides some shelter although additional windbreak planting may be beneficial for the purposes of viticulture
Nigel Porter, one of Strutt & Parker’s partners, says ’we marketed and sold around 90 acres of land for viticultural use near Barham in 2012. Much of that land has now been planted with vines and a winery is being built. We are confident that there is still significant demand from established wine producers and lifestyle buyers for the establishment of further plantings locally.’
For more information please visit the Strutt & Parker website
Written by Decanter
