THE VINE, 99 



which is situated low and warm, being surrounded with hills, that he has 

 made wine so good there, that it has been altogether undistinguished from 

 the best French wines by the most judicious palates. But this I suppose 

 was done only in some favourable over-hot summers; though,' if the Vines 

 were placed advantageously, it is possible it might be done in an indifferent 

 year; the Rev, and learned Dr. Ralph Bathurst, President of Trinity College, 

 and Dean of Wells, having made good Claret here at Oxon, A. D. 168'5^ 

 which was a very mean year for that purpose," 



But there is evidence of vineyards farther north than this. There was 

 one at Dorley Abbey, in the county of Derby; and several of the villages 

 there are said to derive their names from the vineyards formerly flourishing 

 there; namely, S. Winfield, N, Winfield, and Wingerworth, There was also 

 one at Camberwell, in Surrey, at Dorking; and by far the most flourishing 

 vineyard in England, in the year 1787, was that of Pains-hill, Cobham, in 

 the above county, planted by Charles Hamilton, Esq., from which excellent 

 Burgundy and Champagne were made. The tithes of the Vines of Lincombe, 

 near Bath, were confirmed to the Abbey there in 1150, by Archbishop 

 Theobald: this vineyard was in a flourishing state in 1720. Near Tewkesbury, 

 is a field still called the vineyard. A messuage and land in Twyning, were 

 held of the Lord of Tewkesbuiy, on certain conditions, one of which was 

 ^'finding a man for sixteen days in digging in the vineyard, and gathering 

 grapes for three days;" Ing. ad. q. d. 39, Ed. 3rd. — Fosbr. Glouc. ii., 293. 

 The Isle of Ely was by the Normans called the Isle of Vines; and the 

 Bishop, shortly after the conquest, is said to have received four tuns of wine 

 annually, as tithes from the Vines in his diocese, and in his leases, he made 

 frequent reservation of a certain quantity of wine by way of rent. In the 

 church at Ely is the following register; or at least, some time ago existed: — 



Exitus Vineti 



Do. Vineae ... 

 10 bushels of grapes from the vineyard ... 

 7 dolia musti from the vineyard, 12 Edw. II. 

 Wine sold for 

 Verjuice ... 



1 dolium and 1 pipe Ely, filled with new wine, &c., at 

 For wine out of this vineyard 

 For verjuice from thence 

 No wine but verjuice made, 9 Edw. IV. 



From the foregoing it plainly appears that wine was made at Ely, from 

 the production of British grown Grapes. We also find that the first Earl 

 of Salisbury planted a vineyard in his park at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, 

 which was in existence in the time of Charles the First. About the year 

 1720, a gentleman of the name of Warner observing the Burgundy Grape 

 ripen early, conceived an idea that it might answer for planting a vineyard^ 



