Little Thetford Wine
Elysian Fields Vineyard
Elysian Fields Vineyard was established in 1991, some two miles south west of the cathedral city of Ely at Bedwell Hey Farm, which stands at 50 feet above sea level and the surrounding fenland at the edge of the old Island of Ely. The site, on deep Greensand soil, is adjacent to Ely Fields Farm which itself was named in the pre-enclosure period and marked the southern boundary of Ely South Field, hence the name of the vineyard.
As far as is known this is the only vineyard in Fenland and one of the smallest in East Anglia at just two and a half acres, but it continues a tradition which started with the introduction of grape vines by the Romans and continued by the Normans after 1066. There is documentary evidence that the monks at the Abbey and later the Cathedral of Ely cultivated vines right through the Middle Ages and that home produced wine and beer formed part of their living.Viticulture in England has always been problematical due to the variations in climate and here we have six different grape varieties in the hope that at least two of them will perform in any year. The varieties are Bacchus, Schonburger, Reichensteiner, Madeleine Angevine, Acolon and Seyval Blanc. We cannot produce the high yields of southern Europe so we have to make sure that we produce a quality product. The skill of English winemakers who have adopted new world techniques combined with traditional methods has ensured that we achieve consistent quality.

Our winemakers are Carters Vineyard, Boxted, Colchester and New Hall Vineyard, Purleigh, Chelmsford who also make wine for a number of East Anglian vineyards and both have received awards for their wines in local, national and international competitions.

Elysian Fields Vineyard aims to supply a quality local wine with its own unique local flavour and a heritage that stretches back almost two millennia.

Elysian Fields White is a still, medium dry table wine, with well developed fruit flavour and is bottle matured for at least a year. It will continue to develop and improve in the bottle for at least another two years after that. We have recently planted 500 red grape vines and have been producing red and rose wines since 2007 vintage.

Our 2005 vintage was entered in East Anglian Wine of the Year Competition and was awarded a Bronze Medal and Quality Wine Status.
John and Linda Parish
Bedwell Hey Farm
Little Thetford
Ely, Cambs. CB6 3HJ

Tel. 01353 662 722

Fax. 01353 663 774.
Sunset over Elysian Field Vineyard in 2008