Chateau Whirlow
A day in Sheffield visiting the Whirlow Hall City Farm on behalf of the Barracks Lane Community Garden, along with fellow trustee Debbie. Barracks Lane is quite tiny (about 100 x 200 metres on the site of some old council garages in Cowley) and a day at Whirlow reinforced that sense. High up on the moors on the edge of the city it covers 138 acres is a working farm with pigs, sheep , cows and chickens, an extensive educational programme and everything from outdoor horticulture to hydroponic strawberries, an orchard and vineyard. Perfect weather gave the place an almost holiday feel an the excitement of coachloads of local school children heightened that sense. After lunch in the cafe we got taken up the hill behind the farm house to see the vineyard. Planted in 2011 there are 2,900 vines and at 850 ft, it is the highest vineyard in England. Who knows, perhaps the the steel city is about to become the home of a great British vintage wine?
