Land for sale

In 2017, the vendor started to explore agricultural ideas further and growing grapes struck him as an interesting challenge. The name originated from the Roman garrison of Calleva, being less than half a mile away from the site. English viticulture was in the news winning medals around the world. The wine world was taking English wines far more seriously – and with good reason.

The fields are predominantly south-facing, the area to be planted always seemed to be warm and in 2018 he brought renowned vineyard experts to the site to give their opinions and advice on the suitability of the fields and terroir, soil samples were taken to ascertain the quality of the land.

There were positive responses to all. A local vineyard owner brought along his vigneron who looked at the soil and agreed. The 6-acre vineyard was planted in 2019 with 60% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 9% Pinot Meunier and 6% Rondo. At the same time, the vendor realised that vineyards were now becoming 'experience destinations'. There was already a stocked one-acre lake onsite with plenty of wildlife; a winery was added and completed in 2022.

The Winery is in three parts. The far end, the tractor and machinery store, is high enough for wine tanks to be housed for wine-making onsite; the middle section has a mezzanine floor for storing consumables and downstairs there is plenty of space for bonded wine. The final section has a tasting room with bar and toilets on the first floor. In the tasting room upstairs the oak bar and windowsills were handmade from a 300-year-old tree from the land. Downstairs there is room for a cellar door facility complete with further toilets with showers, staff kitchen and office space.

The first spray in 2020 led to another decision – the night before spraying with conventional chemicals, the vendor got cold feet. Why create something of a wine destination if the local biodiversity was going to be put under pressure? The answer – become organic. Bat boxes were hung in the trees and beehives added around the vineyard and winery, increasing the biodiversity and encouraging bats to help combat moths in the vineyard rather than just using chemicals. The hares, deer, badgers, kites, buzzards, pheasants, partridges, bats and pond-life would not be compromised. The vineyard will receive full organic certification in March 2023. There is potential for further south-facing vines within the land.

NB: Planning Application has been submitted for retrospective permission for doors, windows and the balcony on the Winery Barn (Application Number: 23/00425AKPD).

Calleva Vineyard lies on the edge of village of Silchester on the Hampshire/Berkshire border between Reading and Basingstoke. It is about 0.5 mile from the centre of the village which is renowned for its historic importance given its Roman origins depicted by the remains of the walls of Calleva Atrebatum. Within the village is a public house, highly regarded primary school, village hall and church, as well as active football and cricket clubs.

There are some well-renowned schools close by which include Daneshill, Elstree, Cheam and Bradfield College to name but a few. Local facilities can be found in nearby Tadley with more extensive amenities in the major commercial centres of Basingstoke, Reading and Newbury.

There are good communication links with easy access to both the M3 and the M4 motorways, and fast and regular rail services from Basingstoke to Waterloo and Reading to Paddington, with a branch line station at Bramley linking to both.

Marketed by: Knight Frank, Covering North Hampshire