Vinery Greenhouse

To offer desert grapes to eat after luncheon and a glass of wine from their very own vines was the aim of every wealthy Victorian who spent a fortune on their walled garden and its maintenance.

It was all about peer pressure and the most fortunate of owners would have a series of vineries facing south and growing early, mid and late season vines in order to enjoy the pleasures of the grape the longest.

Vines prefer their roots to be cool while their foliage is basking the warm sunshine. Therefore, the ideal vinery enabled the vine roots to be grown outside in a compost bin running in front of the lean-to vinery. Then, the main stem of the vine could enter the vinery itself through archways along the dwarf south-facing wall at the foot of the vinery. Once inside, the vines could be trained across the vine wires running across the front about a foot below the level of the glass.

In this manner, not only could the vine roots be kept cool, but they could be fed and watered more easily. When water was not required covers could be added over the compost bins as required.

In springtime, shallow-rooted vegetables could be sown into the top most layers of the compost to benefit from the warm location. Being shallow-rooted the plants did not interfere with the main crop.

At Winsford, the soil level within the compost bins running along the front of one vinery have been lowered, so that visitors to the garden can see the beautiful brick arches in the low walls at the foot of the three-quarter span vinery.