The Vineyard
Vineyards were common in medieval England, King John had a vineyard planted at Rockingham Castle, there was another at Higham Ferrers.
We know that there was a vineyard here in Nassington because a document dated 20th of March in the 29th year (1450) of the reign of Henry VI, states that,
'...and half a pound of pepper rent from the prebendary of the prebend of Nassington for a garden called the vineyard.'
During the medieval period the vines were grown as free standing bushes, as they still are in parts of northern Spain, or up poles.
The vines are wound around the poles in a spiral as this encourages the side shoots to grow and produce more grapes.
Wine of good quality, by the standards of the time, could be produced in England until about 1350’s when the weather deteriorated, but this did not matter too much as England still owned some of the best wine producing areas of France. The English vineyards did not become obsolete as the grapes could be used to produce verjuice, a strong vinegar that was used in cookery.
The monks of Bury St Edmunds had a vineyard where they could walk and relax amid the gentle green foliage after having been bled.
Symbolically the vine could represent Christ.
Vineyards were common in medieval England, King John had a vineyard planted at Rockingham Castle, there was another at Higham Ferrers.
We know that there was a vineyard here in Nassington because a document dated 20th of March in the 29th year (1450) of the reign of Henry VI, states that,
'...and half a pound of pepper rent from the prebendary of the prebend of Nassington for a garden called the vineyard.'
During the medieval period the vines were grown as free standing bushes, as they still are in parts of northern Spain, or up poles.
The vines are wound around the poles in a spiral as this encourages the side shoots to grow and produce more grapes.
Wine of good quality, by the standards of the time, could be produced in England until about 1350’s when the weather deteriorated, but this did not matter too much as England still owned some of the best wine producing areas of France. The English vineyards did not become obsolete as the grapes could be used to produce verjuice, a strong vinegar that was used in cookery.
The monks of Bury St Edmunds had a vineyard where they could walk and relax amid the gentle green foliage after having been bled.
Symbolically the vine could represent Christ.