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Vineyard guide · Purleigh
New Hall Wine Estate near Maldon has grown grapes in the Crouch Valley since 1969 and is still run by the founding family. The cellar door shop opens every weekday, with self-guided flights on summer Saturdays and winemaker-led tours on set Fridays.
| Founded | First vines planted 1969, first vintage 1971 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Bacchus from some of England’s oldest vines, and Pinot Noir Précoce |
| Grapes | Bacchus, Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Précoce, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Reichensteiner and Müller-Thurgau |
| Open | Cellar door shop Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, all year, closed on bank holidays |
| Booking | Book Friday tours ahead, the shop and Saturday flights are walk-in |
| Food | No café or restaurant, picnics welcome on Saturdays |
| Dogs | On leads in the shop, Tasting Shed and on the vineyard trail, not on Friday tours |
| Children | Welcome on Saturdays and open days, Friday tastings are not suitable for children |
| Stay | Novoli Farm Campsite and Hill Top Glamping, both about two minutes’ walk away |
| By train | North Fambridge, about 10 minutes by taxi |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
Bill and Sheila Greenwood planted the first vines at New Hall Farm in Purleigh in 1969: 850 Reichensteiner vines in Front Meadow, followed in 1970 by Huxelrebe and Müller-Thurgau from Geisenheim in Germany, and Bacchus in 1977. The first vintage in 1971 was 18 bottles, made in Sheila Greenwood’s kitchen. Their son Piers became the estate’s viticulturist and winemaker, made its first traditional method sparkling wine from estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1983, and was named UKVA Winemaker of the Year in 2013.
When Piers retired in 2015, the business passed to his brother-in-law Chris Trembath, and Chris’s daughter Becki, the third generation of the family, joined in 2016 and is now owner and general manager. The estate covers about 122 acres in the Crouch Valley, with new Bacchus, Pinot Noir Précoce and Pinot Meunier planted on Church Hill in 2018, and tank expansions in 2017 and 2018 raised capacity to around 250,000 bottles a year. The head winemaker since 2023 is Jacques Huysamer, who trained at Stellenbosch.
The wines took Gold and Silver Seals at the International Wine and Spirit Competition as early as 1976, and New Hall won UKVA Winemaker of the Year again in 2016. More recently the Signature 2025 won gold at the Essex Wine Awards 2026. A new tasting room was finished in 2025, along with 218 solar panels and battery storage, and the estate has planted almost five acres of wildflower meadow and joined the RSPB’s Operation Turtle Dove.
New Hall makes still and sparkling wines in several ranges. The Single Estate wines include Bacchus, Pinot Noir Précoce, a Pinot Noir Précoce Rosé and the Signature blend, alongside an Old Vine Bacchus Fumé from the estate’s oldest Bacchus. The Railway Barn range covers a still Müller-Thurgau and a Sparkling Bacchus and Sparkling Rosé, and Barons Lane offers everyday white and rosé. The traditional method Classic Cuvée is poured on the Friday tour. Bacchus is the grape to try here, given how long it has grown on the estate. Where to buy them.
Visitors park in the courtyard between the office and the cellar door shop, with an overflow car park behind the winery. The shop opens Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm all year and closes on bank holidays. In summer it also opens on Saturdays, when the Tasting Shed serves self-guided flights and wine by the glass, and there is a child-friendly self-guided vineyard trail with games. There is no café or restaurant, but picnics are welcome as long as you take your rubbish home, and The Purleigh Bell is the estate’s pick for lunch. Friday tastings run in all weather, swapping the vineyard walk for more time in the winery if it is wet, and come with salted nibbles that may contain nuts. The winery, shop, Tasting Shed and toilets have ramp access, though the vineyard and courtyard are uneven in places. Friday tour bookings can be changed by email within three working days for a gift voucher of the same value.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Cellar Door Saturdays The shop and wine bar open on Saturdays before Christmas, with 10% off cases of six and 20% off cases of twelve, including mixed cases. The first, on 28 November, is a Festive Shopping Day with double discounts and a small Christmas market. | Free entry | 11am to 5pm | Saturdays 28 November, 5, 12 and 19 December 2026 |
| Christmas Special Wine Dinner A four-course tasting menu of locally grown Essex produce cooked by chef Christopher Laurie, with each course paired with a glass of New Hall wine and hosted by the estate’s wine ambassador, Paul Laurie. Vegetarian options are available. Email the estate to reserve and for the price. | On request | Arrive 6pm, first course at 7pm | Thursday 17 December 2026 |
| Friday Tour & Tasting A glass of Railway Barn sparkling wine on arrival, a walk through the Pinot Noir vineyard, a winery tour with the senior winemaker and a glass of Classic Cuvée, a guided tasting of three Single Estate wines and a taste of a limited-edition 2026 wine, plus 10% off in the shop. Limited to 24 guests, and you can stay for a picnic afterwards. | See the booking page | 2 hours, 11.30am to 1.30pm | Fridays 28 May, 25 June and 2 July 2027 |
| Cellar Door Saturdays Self-guided wine flights, wine by the glass in the Tasting Shed and barrel-top samples, with the vineyard trail and picnic benches on the terrace. Groups of six or more should email ahead. | No booking needed | Drop in | Summer Saturdays from 27 March 2027 to mid-September |
Book these on the New Hall website.
Coming up at the vineyard, from its own website. All vineyard events.
Christmas
Barrel-top samples, case discounts and a chance to meet the winemaking team, with free mulled wine and spiced apple juice. Dogs on leads welcome.
Saturday 28 November 2026 · 10am to 5pm · Free entry · Drop in
Food and wine
Four courses of Essex produce cooked by chef Christopher Laurie, each matched with a New Hall wine and hosted by Paul Laurie. Book by email.
Thursday 17 December 2026 · Arrive 6pm, dinner from 7pm · Book ahead
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2 bottles in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
White
A single estate Essex Bacchus with lime, apple and nettle, and a zesty, flinty palate.
Rosé
A pale salmon Essex rosé showing red berries, apple and peach, a slightly creamy texture and a sharp, clean finish.
Trains from London Liverpool Street reach North Fambridge in about 45 minutes, and the estate is about a 10-minute taxi ride from there; book the taxi in advance. By car, the estate is on Chelmsford Road in Purleigh, a few minutes south of Maldon. Parking is free in the estate’s own car park, with accessible parking open to all visitors and a drop-off point near the yard entrance on busy open days.
Maldon, a few minutes away, has Maldon Oysters, trips on converted sailing barges and the National Trust’s Northey Island, reached by a tidal causeway in the Blackwater Estuary (check tide times first). The Crouch Valley has other vineyards to visit, including Clayhill Vineyard for coffee and cake and Crouch Ridge Vineyard for a light lunch. Tiptree’s jam museum and tearoom is about 25 minutes away, and Colchester about 40 minutes.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Essex directory.
The cellar door shop opens Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm all year, and closes on bank holidays. In summer it also opens on Saturdays, and in 2026 it opens on the four Saturdays from 28 November to 19 December for Christmas.
Friday Tour & Tastings must be booked online in advance. The shop and Saturday self-guided wine flights are walk-in, though groups of six or more should email ahead.
Friday Tour & Tastings run on 28 May, 25 June and 2 July 2027, from 11.30am to 1.30pm, for up to 24 guests. The tour is led by the senior winemaker.
Children are welcome on Cellar Door Saturdays and open days, when there is a self-guided vineyard trail with games. Friday tastings are not suitable for children.
Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the shop, the Tasting Shed and on the vineyard trail, with water bowls provided. Dogs cannot join Friday tours because of health and safety rules in the winery.
There is no café or restaurant. Picnics are welcome on Saturdays, and the estate recommends The Purleigh Bell for lunch.
What is on at the vineyards that month, new tours worth booking, and our seasonal picks, from Christmas vouchers to harvest days. One email a month. Unsubscribe whenever you like.
