The Farmers Mart Summer 2017 - Issue 51 | Page 10

Market Place Farm didn’t die they didn’t grow much either. It was a worrying start.’ Undeterred and with typical Yorkshire belligerence that he’d started and was going to give it a real go Henry planted another 500 vines the following year and with other vines added since then Little Wold Vineyard has now become home to 2500 vines growing six white varieties and one red. This summer the first of his wine – ‘Henry’s Harvest’ – is available for purchase with white, rose and sparkling varieties. ‘We’ve been very grateful to Stuart Smith at Ryedale Vineyards for the advice he has given. We are blending grape varieties because with our varying climate it is very difficult to produce exactly the same grapes from one year to the next. We’re largely using North German or cold country vines that are suitable for where we are. The main varieties we have are Madeleine Angevine and Solaris. We’ve recently planted Seyval Blanc. English wine is starting to earn a good reputation. We’re hoping ours is the best there can be.’ The wine from Little Wold Vineyard will be available generally but will also be consumed as part of another new enterprise at Market Place Farm. ‘We’re now hosting weddings on our land 62153 at South Cave. It - 8TH.pdf - MWFarmSupplies all came about as a result of are pleased to do business with Henry Wilson and Market Place Farm and wish them continued success C M Y Marr, Doncaster Tel: 01302 786786 CM the vineyard tours we’ve been hosting. Visitors remarked on the amazing view. You can see the Humber Bridge and on clear days right over to the Pennines. I’ve farmed here all my life and knew the view but hadn’t realised its potential. It got us to thinking about being a wedding venue as part of the recent rush towards countryside weddings. We’re now pretty much fully booked on a 15 temporary events a year licence and taking bookings for 2019 and 2020. We’ve invested in our own marquee and all of the other things that our brides and grooms will need. Alice looks after the running of the weddings side with my wife Heather.’ Henry’s father bought Market Place Farm in 1947. In those times it was a traditional mixed enterprise with cattle, hens, pigs and arable crops. There was a milk round too. ‘I took over at a time when the village was growing rapidly. Housing surrounded the farmhouse, which we still have today even though our land is outside of the village. My son Tom lives in the farmhouse. Heather and I live in the village. We’d had 1000 pigs and as we became surrounded it became socially unacceptable to have livestock where the farmhouse was situated. That’s why we ended up growing cereals.’ Today’s nod back to those days of livestock 1 28/04/2017 11:54:20 comes with turkeys reared for Christmas. MW Farm Supplies A Country Store for Everyone From light bulbs to ladders, security padlocks to steps, potato bags to nuts and bolts, you'll find all you need at MW Farm Supplies to help you maintain a smooth running and efficient farm or home. MY Market Weighton Tel: 01430 875900 Newark, Notts. CY Tel: 01636 671628 CMY K Email: [email protected] 10 Summer 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk Proud to be associated with Henry Wilson of Market Place Tel: 01430 872899 | www.mwfarmsupplies.co.uk MW Farm Supplies, 61 Holme Road, Market Weighton York YO43 3EW