Oxford News
Award-winning Cotswolds vineyard celebrates anniversary
Set high on the rolling hills of the South Cotswolds, Woodchester Valley Vineyard has quietly established itself as one of England’s most distinctive wine producers.
This year it marks a significant milestone, celebrating 10 years of being a single-estate vineyard, and is one of very few in the UK to grow and vinify 100 per cent of its own grapes, vinified in its own on-site winery.
With its award-winning still and sparkling wines, accessible location, and immersive visitor experiences, the vineyard continues to establish itself as a leading UK destination.
READ MORE: Thames Water responds on when UK hosepipe ban will end as rain forecast
Woodchester’s story began in 2007 when founder Fiona Shiner created an experimental acre of vines at her home in Amberley.
Fiona was keen to test the soil and slopes of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds to see how suitable it was for growing wine grapes.
With great success, the desire developed into an ambition to grow more grapes and produce wine.
Today, the largest vineyard in the Cotswolds, Woodchester Valley, boasts a 55-acre estate spread over three vineyards and an on-site winery.
The arrival of winemaker Jeremy Mount in August 2016 marked a defining turning point in the vineyard’s journey.
READ MORE: Cotswolds villagers fume as tourists ‘p**s and s**t everywhere’
Jeremy brought extensive experience to the vineyard; with a degree in viticulture and oenology, he had worked with prestigious wineries in some of the world’s best wine regions, including France, Germany, South Africa, the United States and New Zealand.
His background and knowledge of wineries supported the variety of grapes and production techniques needed for Woodchester.
Jeremy Mount, Winemaker at Woodchester Valley Vineyard, said: “Growing up in Kent with parents who were apple and pear fruit farmers, there was always an interest in wine and grape production, so that passion naturally became my career.
“With years of industry knowledge from around the world, I am still intrigued by the winemaking industry today just as I was at the start, while focusing on producing the finest possible still and sparkling English wines.”
Fiona Shiner, Founder of Woodchester Valley Vineyard said: “What started out as a little project turned out to be something quite unexpected. A journey that would grow beyond those early plantings into an award-winning vineyard.
READ MORE: Cotswolds private school up for sale at £30m as it closes after 100 years
“I am incredibly proud of the team and what we have all achieved, and honoured to have been a single-estate producer for the last ten years.
“New growing techniques and climate change have made it possible to cultivate grapes commercially in England.
“The quality of the wines is rapidly growing, which makes it an exciting time to explore new varieties of English wines.”
The winery was introduced to the vineyard in time for the 2016 harvest, meaning from then on, all the wines produced have been from grapes grown in Woodchester’s vineyards and vinified in the winery – single estate.
The hard work and expert knowledge have paid off with Woodchester Valley Vineyard winning a medal in every award entered so far this year – a full sweep.
Oxford News
Real reason for Beckham family fallout with Brooklyn revealed
Brooklyn, 27, had shared a statement on social media in January, making several accusations about his parents, David, 51, and Victoria, 52.
The source of the tension was reportedly his relationship with his fiancée, Nicola Peltz, 31.
According to the Daily Mail, things became so strained that Brooklyn and his parents were not on speaking terms for some three months before his wedding to Nicola in Palm Beach, in April 2022.
Despite the family rift, the Beckhams maintained a united front for the cameras at the wedding, and posted adoring posts on social media after the event.
READ MORE: Anti-racism group concerns after Tommy Robinson weighs in on Bicester asylum row
Lady Victoria Beckham with her family. (Image: Victoria Beckham / Instagram)
Brooklyn’s accusations included claims that Victoria ‘hijacking’ his first dance with Nicola and danced with him ‘inappropriately’ in front of his 500 guests.
He also alleged that the fashion designer pulled out of making Nicola’s dress at the last minute.
Following these accusations, Brooklyn reportedly issued a legal notice to his parents, instructing them to only contact him through his lawyers.
An insider told The Sun that Brooklyn felt his parents ignored his wishes and continued to mention him online instead of reaching out privately.
The insider said: “Truly, people do not know the full facts of this heart-breaking tale, and think Brooklyn was just being truculent when he blocked his parents.
The reality is that he issued them with a letter at the end of last summer, asking for any correspondence to go via lawyers only, and wanted to try and make amends privately not publicly.”
Oxford News
£7 billion East West Rail Oxford to Milton Keynes row solved
Instead, Chiltern Railways has started hiring Customer Service Inspectors—roles that closely resemble the duties of traditional guards.
Oxford’s new railway line to Milton Keynes has been complete for almost two years, but passenger trains still aren’t running.
The move comes after the Government’s initial instruction to adopt driver-only operation, with unions demanding that a guard be present.
The new inspectors, to be based at the Bletchley depot—home to East West Rail services—will undertake tasks including customer care, revenue protection, making on-train announcements, and reporting or rectifying faults.
While a second staff member will typically be present, train doors will still be operated by drivers, meaning the absence of a second staff member in rare cases will not prevent a service from running—mirroring practices commonly seen south of London.
45 drivers have been recruited for the new service, but no guards.
An internal government document confirms issues at Winslow station will not obstruct operation, and the fleet of trains has been upgraded with ‘Superpower mode’ to enhance acceleration and meet a tight timetable.
The project delays have already taken a significant financial toll.
READ MORE: Plans for Oxfordshire councils to be abolished is a ‘land grab’
Six two-carriage trains have accumulated £2.6m in costs due to delays in their lease.
Currently idle in a Bletchley depot, these units are costing the Department for Transport money without generating any fare income.
Previously, the rail industry attributed setbacks to complications in finalising Winslow station.
However, observers note this typically does not stop a line from launching, as seen with the Northumberland Line, which managed to start operations even with incomplete stations.
A total of 45 drivers have been recruited for the new service, but the absence of guards, also known as ‘train managers’, has proved more contentious.
The Government has been pushing for ‘Driver-Controlled’ or ‘Driver-Only Operation’—a cost-saving method introduced widely on London commuter lines in the 1980s.
However, this system’s extension to new lines has faced staunch resistance from rail unions, who have fielded several disputes over the years, the most recent of which extended more than four years with South Western Railway.
The stalemate over guards has ultimately stalled the Oxford-Milton Keynes route, but the introduction of the ‘Customer Service Inspector’ role now seems to pave the way for the resolution, hinting at imminent rides for the eagerly awaiting passengers.
The Government previously said trains from Oxford to Milton Keynes are being lined up to appear in the December rail timetable.
In a written statement, rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Chiltern worked with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and other operators on the December 2026 timetable and services have been timetabled between Oxford, Winslow, Bletchley and Milton Keynes.”
Oxford News
215 homes, care home and retirement village plans approved
Cherwell District Council has backed the plans to transform the 14-hectare brownfield site at Islip Fuel Depot, a former RAF fuel depot near Islip village.
The plans include 150 homes, of which half will be affordable, up to a 70-bed care home and up to 65 retirement units, subject to 20 conditions.
These will replace the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot off Bletchingdon Road, which was taken over by the Esso Petroleum Company in the 1960s before being shut down in 1991.
The current state of the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot (Image: Barwood Development Securities Ltd and NCM Real Re)
Under approval conditions, the developer must contribute almost £5m to local services, councils and police, under S106 contributions.
More than £300,000 will go towards local services. This includes improvements to Household Waste Recycling, Kidlington Library and Islip Medical Practice, or an identified primary care project in the local area.
The district council requested more than £1m in contributions towards enhancing community hall facilities, outdoor and indoor sport provision, a community development worker and fund, and public art.
Oxfordshire County Council requested more than £3.6m in financial contributions, including almost £3m towards primary and secondary education.
Thames Valley Police requested more than £30,000 towards additional staff, vehicles, premises, equipment and ANPR cameras.
In the case officer’s report, Katherine Daniels noted that while the proposal would result in the development of a substantial site on the edge of the village with some landscape and visual harm, weight is given to the benefits.
One of those is the council not being currently able to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land.
She said: “The delivery of market housing attracts significant positive weight and the affordable housing provision attracts very substantial positive weight given the acute need for affordable homes across the District.
“National policy and guidance recognise the pressing need to provide accommodation for older persons and specialist housing to meet changing demographics. The proposal would make an important contribution towards addressing that need.”
Weight is also given to the redevelopment of the “largely redundant” brownfield site.
Illustrative views of the proposed development at the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot (Image: Barwood Development Securities Ltd / NCM Real Re)
She said: “The proposal would secure remediation of contaminated land, environmental improvements and the beneficial reuse of previously developed land in accordance with national and local planning objectives.”
The site was first thought to be within Oxford Green Belt but officers concluded the site constitutes Grey Belt land.
She said: “The proposal would not result in unacceptable impacts in respect of highway safety, heritage assets, ecology, flooding, drainage, contamination, residential amenity or infrastructure provision.
“These matters can be appropriately addressed through planning conditions and planning obligations.”
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoHSBC UK & Visa test AI shopping with live payments
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoValarian lands USD $50 million backing for sovereign AI
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoNew romantasy bookshop attracts queues of customers
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoMouser warns against viral hacks to cool overheating phones
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoSNP & Palantir launch AI tools for SAP transformations
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoKane tops England influencer rankings after Mexico win
-
Traffic & Transport4 weeks ago‘I felt my spine and body split’: the woman who was hit by a child on a Lime bike – and denied compensation | Ebikes
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoDWP now checking bank accounts for Universal Credit and Pension Credit
