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A Day with the Steward of Hays Manor
A Day with the Steward of Hays Manor
A private heritage, farm, and mead experience with Hays Clan Steward and Vinland Meads Mead Maker Clyde Hays
A private heritage, farm, and mead experience with Hays Clan Steward and Vinland Meads Mead Maker Clyde Hays
Clyde Hays
Clyde Hays
Immerse yourself in the living traditions of Hays Manor. This private, four-hour experience invites you into the world of Hays Manor, mead making, beekeeping, and Highland cattle, Falconry—guided personally by Clyde Hays, Steward of the Hays Manor Trust and Head Mead Maker of Vinland Meads.
Designed for families, photographers, nature lovers, and those seeking a meaningful connection to craft and land, this experience offers an intimate look behind the scenes of Hays Manor and the heritage practices that shape it.
🍷 Outdoor Mead Tasting With Vinland Meads
🍷 Outdoor Mead Tasting With Vinland Meads
Join us for an intimate outdoor mead-tasting experience hosted by Vinland Meads.
Although the Meadery itself is currently in production only mode and not open for full tours, guests are invited to enjoy an exclusive tasting set beside our rustic mead bar and crackling fire pit.
Relax as Clyde guides you through a curated selection of Vinland Meads’ handcrafted offerings, sharing insights into the craft, ingredients, and traditions behind each bottle. Your tasting may feature:
• Traditional Mead
• Blackberry – Harvest
• Cinnamon – Vixon
• Black Cherry – Crimson Dusk
• Blueberry – Violet Dawn
• Plum – Thicket
• Smoked Pecan – Ash
• Raspberry – Asmeth
To enhance the experience, each pour is paired with a small assortment of local cheeses and cured meats chosen to complement the rich, honey-forward profiles of our meads.
From hive to bottle, discover what makes Vinland Meads a true expression of ancestral craft and modern artistry.
🐝 Tour the Hays Clan Apiary
🐝 Tour the Hays Clan Apiary
Visit our working bee apiary and discover how our bees support both Hays Manor and our meadery, Vinland Meads.
Depending on the season, you may see the hives in action, learn about colony care, honey production, and sustainable beekeeping.
Every guest receives a jar of Hays Clan Honey or Honey Sticks as a gift.
🐄 Farm Tour & Highland Cattle Encounter
🐄 Farm Tour & Highland Cattle Encounter
Explore the grounds of Hays Manor and meet our Highland cattle herd:
Ghillie the Highland bull
Millie the matriarch cow with her signature mismatched horn sweep
Alana Fay’e the young, fluffy heifer
Fiona Mae, Millie’s newest calf
Learn about the heritage of the Highland breed, our conservation efforts, and the daily life on Hays Manor.
📚 Signed Book Set & Manor Gift Bag
📚 Signed Book Set & Manor Gift Bag
Your visit includes a curated Hays Manor gift bundle featuring:
Signed copy of Tales of the Hays Clan Highlands
Signed copy of Year One Falconry
One jar of Hays Clan Honey
Additional small goods from the Manor
🦅 Optional: Join the Steward for the Morning Hawk Hunt
🦅 Optional: Join the Steward for the Morning Hawk Hunt
Falconry is part of our daily life here.
While we do not charge for falconry (per state law), you are welcome to join Clyde during the morning hunt when he is home.
This provides photographers and nature lovers a chance to witness and capture the beauty of raptors in action—from the glove to the field.
(Included freely, not part of the paid experience.)
📅 Scheduling
📅 Scheduling
Clyde works out of town two weeks at a time, so this unique experience is offered during his home weeks.
Available dates are listed on our website calendar.
Hunting season (for those wishing to observe the hawks) runs October through March, though the farm, apiary, and meadery experiences are beautiful year-round.
🎁 Perfect for Gifts
🎁 Perfect for Gifts
A beautifully designed gift certificate is available upon request—ideal for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, and special adventures.
Pricing & Experience Options
Pricing & Experience Options
A Day with the Steward of Hays Manor
A Day with the Steward of Hays Manor
All experiences include the full farm and apiary tour, outdoor mead tasting with local cheese and meats, Highland cattle encounter, and the Hays Manor gift bag with signed books and honey.
Standard Private Experience
Standard Private Experience
$250 — For up to 2 Adults
$250 — For up to 2 Adults
Perfect for couples or small parties wanting a personalized heritage experience.
Additional Guests:
+$50 per additional adult
+$25 per child (under 16)
Children under 5 free
Tiered Group Packages
Tiered Group Packages
Family Package — $350
Family Package — $350
Up to 5 guests (2 adults + up to 3 children)
Ideal for families looking for a shared farm, apiary, and mead tasting experience.
Small Group Package — $500
Small Group Package — $500
Up to 8 total guests
Perfect for extended families, friend groups, photography clubs, or community groups.
Optional Add-Ons (Customize Your Day)
Optional Add-Ons (Customize Your Day)
Enhance your experience with premium upgrades:
Vinland Meads Bottle Bundle — $120
Three full-size 750ml bottles (retail $45 each).
You choose your favorites from the tasting.Charcuterie Upgrade — $40
An expanded board of cheeses & locally sourced meats.Professional Photo Session — $75
A short, posed photo session featuring you with the Highlands and Other Manor Animals, or Hays Manor backdrop.Private Fire Pit Extension — $100
Add an additional hour by the fire beneath the oaks.
VIP Experience Upgrade
VIP Experience Upgrade
$400 — VIP Day with the Steward of Hays Manor
$400 — VIP Day with the Steward of Hays Manor
A deluxe, extended version of the experience including everything in the standard package plus:
Extended Visit (5–6 hours)
Full Mead Flight (10+ sample pours)
One 750ml bottle of your favorite mead
Upgraded Manor Gift Bag
Private Evening Bonfire with the Mead Horns.
Expanded Farm & Apiary Tour
Ideal for anniversaries, engagements, milestone birthdays, or unforgettable gifts.
Important Information & Policies
Important Information & Policies
Scheduling
All experiences are scheduled according to Clyde’s availability (he works out of town two weeks at a time). After purchase, we’ll contact you to arrange a date that works for both your party and the Steward’s schedule. If no suitable date can be arranged, you will receive a full refund.
Refund Policy
Before a date is scheduled: you may request a full refund.
After a date is confirmed: because we reserve the Steward’s time and prepare for your visit, refunds will no longer be issued.
Rescheduling: we make every effort to accommodate reschedule requests up to 72 hours before your visit.
Weather: visits continue in light rain or cold. In the case of severe or unsafe conditions, we will reschedule at no charge.
Mead Tasting
The tasting includes a flight of 4 pours (approx. 1–1.5 oz each), served outdoors beside the mead bar and fire pit. All bottles are 750 ml. Guests must be 21+ to participate in the tasting. Additional bottles may be purchased from Vinland Meads.
Group Size
Standard pricing covers up to 2 adults. We also offer packages for families and small groups up to 8 guests. Larger groups may be accommodated on request.
Falconry Participation
Falconry is a free, uncharged part of daily life at Hays Manor. Guests may join the Steward on his morning hunt during his home weeks — ideally for photographing hawks in action. Because hunts depend on weather, hawk condition, and local wildlife, participation may vary.
Location & Accessibility
This is a working farm environment. Expect uneven ground, dirt or mud (depending on season), and close interaction with animals. If you have mobility concerns, please let us know ahead of time.
Photography
Photography is welcome throughout your visit: hawks, farm animals, the landscape, and more. Professional or commercial shoots may require additional agreement.
Liability Waiver & Release Form
Because Hays Manor is a working farm with hands-on experiences, all visitors must complete our liability waiver before joining any activities. View and Sign Waiver HERE.
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