Our story

A celebrated wedding venue, Castle Hill Cider has been hosting large scale events since its inception in 2010. Its ground- to-glass cider has been the recipient of accolades and awards from the Virginia Governor’s Cup, San Francisco Chronicle, Garden & Gun, and more. Castle Hill Cider is located in Keswick, Virginia, just 15 miles from downtown Charlottesville.

Originally part of the King George II land grant of 18,000 acres in the 1720’s, Castle Hill estate was established in 1764 on 1,500 of those acres. Dr. Thomas Walker and his wife, Mildred Meriwether Walker built a white clapboard home on the property. A respected surveyor and physician, some of Dr. Walker’s closest acquaintances included Peter Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson’s father), and George Washington (Mildred’s first cousin). Following the death of Peter Jefferson, Dr. Walker became Thomas Jefferson’s legal guardian and mentor.

Today, Castle Hill Cider occupies 650 acres of the original estate, while the historic home and gardens occupy another 600. Castle Hill was named to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2008 and to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2013.