A YORKSHIRE TALE

Our Story

A family
passion

The Wilson family have been working the land in South Cave since the late 1940s. Henry, son of Robert Wilson, has spent his whole life on the farm; he has been a successful farmer of cereal crops, livestock and now a vineyard.

His second son, Tom, was also born and raised in the family home on Market Place. He returned to the farm in 2014 and has been at the forefront of our plans to transform into a leading Yorkshire vineyard.

Alice, Henry’s daughter, left her career in teaching to join the family full-time in 2014 with a simple idea and an appreciation for our uniquely spectacular views. A main part of her role was to work out how to best sell our East Yorkshire wine. She set up the events element of the business, helping put all of Henry and Tom’s hard work into the spotlight while offering truly bespoke experiences on our farm.

Together, the Wilson family have transformed the farm into a thriving agricultural enterprise, combining tradition with innovation to ensure its continued success.

Our family

Henry (2nd generation)

— Chairman

Following in the footsteps of his father, having lived in South Cave his whole life, Henry has seen the land around him change drastically over the years. This was perhaps apt foreshadowing, for when he turned sixty-five, he made the decision to take the farm in a new direction – Henry was going to establish a vineyard. The rest, as they say, is history.

While technically retired, Henry still plays a very active role here at Little Wold Vineyard. You’ll often find him amongst the vines in the summer months or hosting one of our much-loved vineyard tours. He is a man with quite the story behind him and, if you ask him nicely, he may just tell you about it.

Tom (3rd generation)

—Estate Manager & Head Wine Maker

Email: tom@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

Tom has spent his life in the agricultural world; from growing up on Market Place Farm and helping Henry work the land through his childhood, to working on farms across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. In 2014, he and his family returned to South Cave to help Henry in his new venture. Tom’s broad skillset and willingness to put his hands to anything has made all the difference to Little Wold Vineyard.

While his primary role as vineyard manager involves tasks such as spraying, maintenance and harvesting, Tom has also been a key member in constructing and maintaining the Tasting Room as well as our winery. It would be fair to say that without him, Little Wold Vineyard would not stand as it does today.

Alice (3rd generation)

— Business, Sales and Marketing Manager and Head Wine Maker

Email: alice@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

After a brief stint at university in Newcastle, and teaching career in Hull, Alice returned to Little Wold Vineyard in 2014. Although Henry had worked out how to plant the vines, he was yet to come up with a plan as to how he would make and sell the final product. Alice took on this role, developing the range of wines and establishing our weddings, events and latterly our Cellar Door. She has hosted hundreds of celebrations at Little Wold Vineyard, with her work in building the Little Wold Vineyard name landing her ‘Woman of Achievement’ in the 2018 Women in Business Hull Awards. Having carefully grown her team, she now has more time to focus on the important work that goes into growing and maintaining the business. you can find Alice organising an A-team of events coordinators, or checking in on progress in the winery.

Hayley

— Event Bookings Manager

Email: hayley@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

Hayley joined the Little Wold team in 2021, bringing her extensive knowledge of the Yorkshire Wolds to the team. With over 11 years of experience as a Client Experience Manager, Hayley has a passion for creating memorable events. Her expertise in event planning, from individual client events to corporate away days, ensures that every celebration at Little Wold Vineyard is a special occasion.

Cameron

— Viticulturist

Email: cameron@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

Cam has been part of Little Wold Vineyard since 2020 and has undergone an apprenticeship with Plumpton College to gain his qualification in viticulture. With Tom as his guide, Cam has become an expert in maintaining the quality of our vines, ensuring that we are able to make the most out of each year in spite of the unique challenges that face British vineyards. Prior to his time with LWV, Cam worked as a joiner and has also been crucial in the building of the tasting room and winery.

With an unrivalled love for the outdoors, Cam has been the perfect addition to the vineyard team here. His photography and editing skills have also come in use for Ellie’s weekly blog posts and our social media.

Jenny

— Tasting Room Manager

Email: jenny@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

Jenny joined Little Wold Vineyard in November 2021. Growing up on an arable farm and now living near Pocklington, she has a strong connection to the local area. Since joining LWV, Jenny has been instrumental in establishing and growing our cellar door shop; she also assists with events and vineyard tours. Her warm character and organisational skills make her a valuable asset, particularly during wedding season, where she helps with setup and supplier coordination.

Elaine

— Senior Event Co-ordinator

Email: elaine@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

A lifelong local, Elaine joined in August 2022. Despite what her role title suggests, Elaine has never shied away from helping Tom and the vineyard team during harvest, when an extra pair of hands makes all the difference. Her extensive local knowledge, coupled with her involvement in the Young Farmers Club, makes her one of the most well-informed members of the team on all things Yorkshire. Elaine’s attention to detail and passion for creating memorable experiences ensures clients feel confident and beautiful on their day.

Ellie (4th generation)

— Junior Winemaker and Vineyard Team member

Email: ellie@littlewoldvineyard.co.uk

While Ellie only returned to Little Wold Vineyard full-time in October 2024, after completing her master’s degree, she has worked seasonally for LWV since she was fifteen. Initially working behind the bar when our weddings were held in marquees, she moved over to help her father, Tom, and Cam in the vineyards. Now Ellie has taken on a role in the winery as well, where she’s usually found organising and undertaking winery jobs or cleaning the inside of a tank.

The Volunteers

Our band of amazing volunteers have grown steadily throughout the last few years, helping Tom and the vineyard team in the summer months with jobs like leaf-stripping, tucking in and the all-important harvest. This group is free to join, and we do consider them as an extension of the Little Wold Vineyard family. If you have any questions about our volunteer group or would like to join, please contact one of us via email or our social media.

OUR HISTORY

Where the story begins

1947

Market Place Farm

Market Place Farm was once part of the Cave Castle estate but was bought in 1947 by Robert Wilson. Cattle roamed the grassy hillsides, while a dairy herd shared the flatter land with cultivated fields – where we farmed potatoes, sugar beet and cereals. The milk from the dairy herd was sold locally in the village, and we still have some of these bottles around the family farmhouse, where the original farmyard was located.

1970’s — 1980’s

Broccoli
pioneers!

In the early ‘70s, Market Place Farm had moved to pig farming, rearing around seventy breeding sows. As for crops, Henry made the decision to farm sprouts, and a variety of broccoli intended for the frozen food market. It was around this time that the farm took on hens for egg-laying, which were also sold to supermarkets. With the surplus eggs, a farm shop was established in the back of the old farmhouse, where they were sold alongside fruit and vegetables from a local supplier.

Little Wold red also demonstrates an amiable richness and depth that elevates it above most Rondo that I’ve sampled.

Erica Brown

2000’s

A Vineyard?

While visiting family in South Africa, Henry stumbled upon the idea of setting up his own vineyard. Doing some research before beginning his journey, he came into contact with Stewart Smith, an expert in vines, who suggested the land would be suitable. Soil samples were taken, and Henry discovered that a range of grape varieties could thrive on our land – including Rondo, Madeleine Angevine and Solaris, but also some more familiar varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

2012

Putting Down roots

Little Wold Vineyard began in earnest in 2012, with the planting of a modest two-thousand vines. To keep costs down, Henry did the labour himself, with the help of his family where necessary. These early years are crucial for vines, as the root system has to expand through the chalky ground in order to gain all the nutrients needed for the plant to thrive in our often bleak Yorkshire climate.

2017

A Thriving Vineyard

In 2017, our tonnage increased from around two and a half tonnes to over six, highlighting the success of Henry’s original plans. This year LWV added two new wines to the collection: Three Cocked Hat, Little Wold Vineyard’s first red wine, and Chalk Hill White, a dry white wine. The new additions were met with roaring reception, meaning our still wines were almost completely sold out by January 2019. In response to this success, Tom planted six thousand new vines during the spring of 2018 on a new site on the opposite hillside known as Mount Airy.