Larkhill Vineyard: A Single-Estate Cotswold Vineyard on the Edge of Tetbury
Tucked away on the southern edge of the ancient Cotswold market town of Tetbury, Larkhill Vineyard is one of the newest single-estate wineries in England. Planted in 2018 and run as a hands-on, family project by Simon and Wendy, this 5-acre south-facing site has quickly built a reputation for elegant, traditional-method sparkling wines and crisp, food-friendly still wines that punch well above their weight. In little more than half a decade Larkhill has picked up awards, attracted the attention of Dame Prue Leith, and become a fixture of the Cotswold food and drink calendar.
The Larkhill Story
The seed of Larkhill was planted, in the most literal sense, in 2017. Simon and Wendy had an idea that they would like to put a few vines on their land on the edge of Tetbury. As is so often the way with vineyard ambitions, the "few" became many: during 2018 and into 2019 the site was prepared, the team attended courses, read extensively and took professional advice, and the vineyard was established by the family themselves with the help of a small team.
Today the vineyard is home to 5,200 vines spread across five acres, producing a tightly focused range of traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wines and carefully crafted still wines. The couple are still very much hands-on: visitors to tours and tastings regularly find Simon and Wendy on site, happy to chat, share the vineyard's history, and pour another glass. As the team puts it, the wines are made "to reflect the excitement in English viticulture."
Meet the team
- Simon - Mad for Machinery
- Wendy - Passion for Plants
- Caroline - Mad for Mowing
- Pip - Passion for People (the vineyard dog, much loved by visitors)
- Sunni - Excited about Events
- Dan, Becca & Kit - Passion for Pop-Ups
Terroir: South-Facing Cotswold Brash
Larkhill sits on the western fringes of Tetbury, with beautiful views over the rolling Cotswold landscape and within walking distance of the town centre. Before planting, Simon and Wendy toured English vineyards up and down the country to determine the style of wine they wanted to make. They settled on a site that ticked every box:
- South-facing slope - for maximum sun exposure and even ripening.
- Cotswold brash soil - nutrient-rich, free-draining limestone-based ground that suits cool-climate varieties.
- Elevation and aspect - gentle air drainage that helps reduce frost risk in this marginal English climate.
Grapes are harvested entirely by hand, taking three to five days across the five-acre site. Hand picking ensures that only the ripest, cleanest fruit makes it into the winery. Each vintage is treated as unique and blended accordingly to produce a range of wines for the cellar door.
The Grape Varieties
Three principal varieties do the heavy lifting at Larkhill, all chosen for their suitability to the site's microclimate and the style of wine the family wanted to produce.
Seyval Blanc
Ideal for cool-climate sparkling and still wines. It produces a light, crisp wine with flavours of citrus, melon and apple. Seyval Blanc is the backbone of the Larkhill sparkling programme and is also a key component of the still Tetbury White blend.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir brings red fruit to the table. It produces a dry wine with sweet and floral flavours of strawberries, pomegranate and rose. At Larkhill it underpins the sparkling rosé, the still Tetbury Rosé and - the team hopes - a future still red Pinot Noir. The 2025 harvest may finally have produced enough quality fruit to make that red.
Phoenix
Phoenix is a German crossing bred for disease resistance in cool climates. It produces a dry, aromatic wine with elderflower and herbaceous notes and adds perfume and lift to the Tetbury White blend.
The Wines
Larkhill produces a tight, focused range - two traditional-method sparkling wines, plus a still white and a still rosé, with vintages evolving each year. The 2025 vintages were on the cusp of release at the time of writing, with the wines available through the online shop, at the cellar door, on tours and tastings, and at the Friday Summer Pop-Ups.
Sparkling wines
Cotswold Sparkling Brut 2022 - £30.00
An elegant, crisp, dry sparkling wine. Floral and fruity with a lasting finish of melon and apple. Made in the traditional method with extended lees ageing, 100% Seyval Blanc, 12.4% ABV. Buy Cotswold Sparkling Brut 2022.
Cotswold Sparkling Rosé 2023 - £32.00
Floral and fruity with a lasting finish of rose and summer berries. Harvested in 2023 and made in the traditional method with around 20 months on the lees. 73% Seyval Blanc, 23% Pinot Noir, with the remainder made up in the winemaking. 11.6% ABV. Vegan. Buy Cotswold Sparkling Rosé 2023.
Still wines
Tetbury White 2024 - £18.00
Crafted to match the crisp, high-acidity profile that Sauvignon Blanc enthusiasts love, this refreshing blend of Seyval Blanc and Phoenix delivers a zesty, fruit-forward experience. A citrus-driven punch and clean apple notes are beautifully supported by subtle hints of quince. Whole-bunch pressed to enhance its vibrant flavour profile. 55% Seyval Blanc, 45% Phoenix, 10.6% ABV. Buy Tetbury White 2024.
Tetbury White 2023 - £18.00
The previous vintage of the Tetbury White, still available while stocks last. Buy Tetbury White 2023.
Tetbury Rosé 2024 - £18.00
A very pale rosé blend using Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc. Bright acidity with red berry flavours - raspberry and pomegranate - accompanied by herbaceous notes. 60% Seyval Blanc, 40% Pinot Noir, 11% ABV. The 2024 vintage was a challenging one due to wet weather, which is reflected in the lighter colour of the Pinot Noir grapes; whole-bunch pressing in the winery enhanced the fresher flavours and elegance of the rosé. Buy Tetbury Rosé 2024.
Tetbury White 2025 - £18.00 (available soon)
Tetbury Rosé 2025 - £18.00 (available soon)
The 2025 still wines are approaching release. Sign up to the Larkhill newsletter or follow the vineyard on Instagram for first-release alerts.
Case discounts
Larkhill offers an automatic discount on mixed cases through the online shop: 5% off 6 bottles and 10% off 12 bottles.
Tours & Tastings
Larkhill's Vineyard Tour & Tasting is the heart of the visitor experience. A tour lasts roughly two hours and costs £35 per person (gift vouchers are available here).
The experience starts with a relaxed, informative walk around the vineyard, where the guide talks through the seasons, the varieties, the soil and the choices that shape the wines. The tour ends back in the old stable yard or in the paddock overlooking the vines, where the full Larkhill range is poured and accompanied by local cheeses, chutney and crudités.
Scheduled tours run from April to October, usually on Saturdays with additional dates added on selected weekends and Bank Holidays. Children are welcome to join the tour (a small fee may apply - check when booking); over-18s only for the wine tasting; well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome.
Private group tours
For friends, families, corporate groups or anyone celebrating something special, Larkhill runs private tours and tastings by arrangement. These can be booked as "Private Group" sessions or by emailing info@larkhillvineyard.co.uk.
Upcoming public dates
Public sessions run throughout the April to October window. As an example of the kind of additional dates added through the season, a special August Bank Holiday Monday Tour & Tasting is scheduled for Monday 31 August 2026, 13:00 - 15:00, £35 per person.
Cellar Door
You don't have to book a tour to visit Larkhill. During the Tour & Tasting season (mid April to early October) the cellar door is open on Friday afternoons (2pm - 5pm) and Saturday afternoons (12 noon - 5pm). Inside you'll find wines by the glass or bottle to enjoy on site, a self-guided wine flight as a taster introduction, soft drinks and local beers.
Outside the regular hours, additional ad-hoc openings are shared via Instagram and Facebook.
Friday Summer Pop-Ups
From the end of May / early June until the end of September, Larkhill runs its hugely popular Friday Summer Pop-Ups in the paddock overlooking the vines, every Friday from 5pm to 9pm. The cellar door is also open from 2pm onwards, so visitors can arrive early and settle in.
The pop-ups are deliberately informal: a fully stocked wine bar pouring Larkhill wines by the glass or bottle, plus local beers, cider, soft drinks, crisps and Winstones icecreams. Each week one or two local artisan food heroes set up shop and serve handmade meals to order. The rotating line-up has included:
The food offering has ranged from hand-stretched sourdough pizzas and mussels cooked in Larkhill's own wine, to flat-iron steak grilled over an open wood fire, Indian street-style tacos and ultimate cheeseburgers. As the vineyard puts it: "the fastest thing about their food is the speed that you will eat it."
Seating includes covered options; visitors can also bring their own camping chairs or a blanket. Dogs on leads and children are welcome. Parking is available, though anyone nearby is encouraged to walk. No bookings are taken - just turn up.
A Year in the Vineyard
Larkhill shares regular updates from the vineyard, giving visitors a window into the realities of running a small English winery.
Winter pruning
Pruning is one of the most important jobs of the year and the decisions taken now shape the next vintage. Each of the 5,200 vines is pruned by hand so the team can check the health of every plant, removing last season's canes and selecting the strongest new cane to be tied down horizontally along the fruiting wire.
Frost watch
Once the buds start to push, frost becomes the biggest threat. In colder years the team - like many English vineyards - relies on wind turbines, heaters and bougies (candles) on critical nights.
Harvest 2025
2025 was the hottest summer on record in the UK, and like many English vineyards Larkhill started harvesting earlier than usual - the Phoenix was picked on Friday 19 September, with Seyval Blanc planned from Sunday 28 September. It was the first time in three years that some of the vines (recently planted Solaris and the more sensitive Pinot Noir) needed irrigation.
For the Pinot Noir in particular, 2025 was an exciting vintage: the team has been keen to make a still red Pinot Noir for some time and was cautiously optimistic that 2025 would finally produce enough quality fruit. The 2025 vintage whites and rosé will follow in due course, with the highly anticipated Pinot Noir red "watch this space".
Volunteering
Hand-picking the whole vineyard takes three to five days, and Larkhill relies on a loyal team of volunteers who return year after year. New helpers are always welcome - full instructions are given on the day. Anyone interested in joining the harvest crew can drop a message to info@larkhillvineyard.co.uk.
Press & Reviews
Larkhill has gathered impressive plaudits for a young English vineyard. Visitor feedback highlights the atmosphere, the knowledgeable and passionate staff, the quality of the wines and the generosity of the tastings, with regular mentions for owners Simon and Wendy being on site and for Pip the vineyard dog. The Friday Night Pop-Ups are singled out for their relaxed, informal vibe and the setting in the paddock overlooking the vines.
The vineyard has been featured by:
- The Telegraph - a June 2026 article on Tetbury's antiques and vintage offerings mentioned Larkhill ("a vintage of a different kind").
- Cotswold Life - Summer Edition list of vineyards to visit in the Cotswolds, 2025 and 2026.
- ITV - Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen, Season 3, Episode 2 (filmed September 2025, aired January 2026). John, Dame Prue Leith's husband, visited Larkhill to talk about English sparkling wines. Following the programme, Simon and Wendy were invited by Dame Prue to write further about setting up an English vineyard - published in The Spectator in April 2026.
- Condé Nast Traveller - A guide to Gloucestershire: where to stay and what to do (December 2025).
- Various national and regional newspapers covering the Disney+ series Rivals (filmed in Tetbury) and celebrities moving to the Cotswolds.
Buying Larkhill Wines
Larkhill wines are available through several channels:
- The online shop - mixed-case discount automatic (5% off 6 bottles, 10% off 12 bottles).
- The cellar door during Friday and Saturday opening hours (April - October).
- At every Tour & Tasting and Friday Summer Pop-Up.
- By appointment - just contact the vineyard.
- Free local delivery within 10 miles of Tetbury for orders of one case or more; UK mainland courier delivery for everything else. Orders normally dispatch within three working days, and a signature from someone over 18 is required.
Local stockists
Selected Larkhill wines can also be found at:
- Tetbury Wines - 25 Church Street, Tetbury GL8 8JG
- The Malmesbury Wine Company - 47 High Street, Malmesbury SN16 9AG
And served by the glass at:
- The Orchard Room Restaurant at Highgrove - Highgrove House, Doughton, Tetbury GL8 8TN
- The Ormond - 23 Long Street, Tetbury GL8 8AA
- The Royal Oak - 1 Cirencester Road, Tetbury GL8 8EY (also has Larkhill on its wine list)
- The Wine Shack - 7 Long Street, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 7ES
Visit Larkhill Vineyard
How to find Larkhill
Larkhill Vineyard is at Cirencester Road, Ilsom, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8RX. Sat-nav users are advised to search "Larkhill Vineyard" rather than enter the postcode, to make sure they arrive at the correct entrance on Cirencester Road. The What3words reference is ///saunas.bonds.proposals.
The vineyard is within walking distance of Tetbury town centre - around 20 minutes on foot from The Royal Oak Tetbury, for example.
Staying nearby
If you want to make a weekend of it, there is plenty of excellent accommodation on the doorstep:
In or on the edge of Tetbury
- The Close Hotel - a charming Cotswolds retreat in the heart of Tetbury.
- The Priory Inn - rooms and a pub in the centre of Tetbury, known for speciality dishes and Super Seafood Sundays.
- The Royal Oak Tetbury - a gentle 20-minute walk to Larkhill, with Larkhill wines on the wine list and rooms/self-catering available.
- The Hare & Hounds - a Cotswold inn and hotel just outside Tetbury.
- Cotswold Country Club - a beautiful Cotswold estate in nearby Long Newton with a heated pool, much loved by previous Larkhill visitors.
A little further afield
- Whatley Manor - a beautiful country house steeped in tradition with contemporary comforts.
- The Rectory - a contemporary, relaxed Cotswold country house hotel and restaurant with 18 bedrooms.
- The Old Bell - rumoured to be England's oldest hotel.
- The Cat & Custard - a traditional English pub and Italian chalet in one of the prettiest Cotswold villages.
- Calcot Manor - stylish rooms, a sublime spa and top-notch dining in 220 acres of rewilded Cotswold countryside.
- Bolthole Retreats - a curated collection of self-catering properties across the region.
Getting there without a car
Taxis in the Cotswolds can be hard to find at busy times, so booking ahead is strongly recommended. Local options include:
- Home James Taxis of Cirencester
- Enrights of Cheltenham (8- and 16-seaters)
- Minibus Tetbury (8-, 16- and 25-seaters)
- The Cotswold Cab
Uber does operate in and around Tetbury but availability varies.
Storing & Serving Larkhill Sparkling
- Storage: for wine you'll drink in the next few days, the fridge is fine. For anything longer, store horizontally in a cool, dark place at a steady 10 - 13°C with some humidity - a wine cellar or wine fridge is ideal.
- Serving temperature: 7 - 10°C. If you've forgotten to chill a bottle, an ice-and-salt bath is the quickest safe way to bring it down - never the freezer.
- Opening: angle the bottle away, keep your thumb on the cork, loosen the cage, then twist the bottle (not the cork). Aim for a soft sigh rather than a pop.
- Glassware: a flute keeps the bubbles tight; a tulip glass gives more room for the aromas to develop; a small white wine glass works as an alternative. The coupe is more vintage in style but loses bubbles faster.
Gift Vouchers
Larkhill sells Tour & Tasting gift vouchers at £35 each, available as e-vouchers or paper vouchers - an easy present for any English wine lover.
Plan Your Visit
Whether you're after a Saturday morning tour with cheese and wine in the paddock, a chilled glass of Cotswold Sparkling Rosé on a Friday afternoon, or a long summer evening of local food and wine at the Pop-Ups, Larkhill offers one of the most welcoming vineyard experiences in the Cotswolds. Tour and tasting dates are scheduled throughout the April to October season, pop-up food line-ups are shared on Instagram and Facebook, and visitors can book a Tour & Tasting to taste the wines where they're grown.
The vineyard can be reached at info@larkhillvineyard.co.uk or 07826 529310. The registered address is Larkhill Vineyard, Ilsom, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8RX.