Manstree Vineyard & Boyces at Manstree, Exeter - Devon's Oldest Commercially Productive Vines
Tucked into a sunny slope on the eastern edge of Exeter, Manstree Vineyard is a quietly remarkable slice of West Country wine history. Part of the broader Boyces at Manstree smallholding, the vineyard was planted in 1979 and today claims the title of Devon's oldest commercially productive vineyard - a status confirmed when the previous record-holders, the 35-year-old Madeleine Angevine vines at Yearlstone, were pulled up over a decade ago.
A brief history of Manstree Vineyard
The vineyard was established in 1979 by Gerry Symons, the predecessor of the current owner Simon Boyce. From those first plantings, the site has been producing commercial crops of grapes for more than four decades. Over the past twenty years, significant replanting has been undertaken, and the vineyard now hosts five different varieties across five acres. The three principal grapes are Seyval Blanc, the classic South-West speciality Madeleine Angevine, and the aromatic Siegerrebe, a relative of the better-known Gewürztraminer.
The name "Manstree" comes from the road that runs past the farm, which itself takes its name from a nearby field. In medieval times, the field was the site of a gallows used to deal with sheep stealers and other felons - literally, a "man's tree". It is an evocative reminder that the Devon countryside carries centuries of working history in its very field names.
Location and terroir
Manstree Vineyard sits on a warm, south-facing slope about one and a half miles from the Exeter city boundary, in the village of Shillingford St George. The site lies within a distinctive climatic pocket of the county known locally as Devon's frying pan, an area that benefits from unusually low summer rainfall thanks to a double rain shadow cast by Dartmoor to the west and the Haldon Hills to the south.
That combination of red Devon soil, generous sunshine and relatively dry summers is precisely what the cool-climate grape varieties on site need to ripen reliably. The result is a consistently high-yielding crop of quality grapes, even in a region not traditionally associated with viticulture.
What you'll find in the shop
Although Manstree grows excellent grapes, the current policy of the vineyard is to sell the fresh grape crop to other local wineries rather than produce its own labelled wines. In the on-site farm shop, you can therefore pick up bottles from neighbouring West Country producers alongside the rest of Boyces' home-grown produce.
Wines available in 2026
- 2020 Pebblebed Dry White Wine - £13.50 per bottle
- 2020 Pebblebed Rosé Wine - £13.50 per bottle
- 2021 Pebblebed Red Wine - £14.50 per bottle
- 2023 Sandridge Barton Dart Valley White Wine - £14.50 per bottle
- 2024 Sandridge Barton Bacchus Stop Ferment - £17.50 per bottle
The range features two of the most respected names in Devon and South-West winemaking: Pebblebed, the well-known vineyard in the Teign Valley, and Sandridge Barton on the Dart estuary. Full bottles are available to take home and can be ordered by telephone on 01392 832218.
Soft fruit and juices
Around eight acres of soft fruit are grown on the wider farm, picked when ripe and sold fresh, frozen or turned into preserves. The current season's frozen-fruit selection includes Blackberries, Loganberries, Boysenberries, Redcurrants and Blackcurrants. While Boyces is not certified as an organic producer, none of the soft fruit is sprayed with chemicals - it is grown purely for flavour and quality.
New for 2026 is the 2025 Jupiter Apple Juice, pressed on the farm from the latest apple harvest. The juice is sold at £3.95 per bottle, or at a reduced price of £3.50 per bottle when you buy three or more.
Preserves, honey and more
The larder section of the shop showcases Boyces' Fruit Preserves - jams made from soft fruits grown on the farm and described by the team as "a taste of summer in a jar". You can also buy runny and set honey harvested from beehives kept on the land, plus locally made marmalade and chutney. Larger quantities of fresh or frozen fruit can be pre-ordered for collection if you are catering for an event.
Boyces Nursery: a garden centre on the same farm
Sharing the site with the vineyard and fruit farm is Boyces Nursery, a long-established plant business with more than 34 years of growing experience. The nursery specialises in hanging baskets and containers, providing year-round colour for town councils, Britain in Bloom groups, pubs, hotels and private gardens across the region.
Throughout the season you will find:
- Ready-filled hanging baskets, pots, troughs and flower pouches
- Bedded patio plants from early spring through to Christmas
- A range of flowering herbaceous perennials, herbs and shrubs
- A basket refill service for customers with their own containers
- Early-season baby basket plants
Summer typically brings a 50% off sale on baskets, pots, troughs and flower pouches - a good moment to pick up colour for late-summer planting.
Visiting the vineyard
Manstree Vineyard does not run formal tours or ticketed tastings, and there is no online shop or booking system - the experience is very much a traditional farm-shop visit. The whole site - nursery, fruit farm and vineyard shop - is open for the 2026 season from 1st March, with regular hours of Thursday to Sunday, 12.00pm to 5.00pm. The shop is closed Monday to Wednesday, except on bank holidays when the same midday-to-5pm hours apply.
The shop is housed at New Barn Farm on Manstree Road in Shillingford St George, just off the A379 between Exeter and the coast. Visitors can park on site, browse the wines, juices and preserves, and walk out among the vines during the summer months.
Contact details
- Address: New Barn Farm, Manstree Road, Shillingford St. George, Exeter, Devon EX2 9QR
- Telephone: 01392 832218
- Email: info@boyces-manstree.co.uk
- Facebook: Boyces at Manstree
The farm is run as a family business under the trading name T & SA Boyce (VAT number 631216185). Simon Boyce is both owner and data controller, and the business is a long-standing member of the Devon soft-fruit and nursery trade.
Why Manstree matters to Devon wine
Devon is sometimes overlooked in the British wine conversation in favour of the South East, but Manstree is living proof that commercial viticulture has deep roots in the county. The 47-year-old Madeleine Angevine and Seyval Blanc vines still cropping here predate almost every other productive vineyard in the region, and the site's continued success is a small but important milestone in the long, slow story of English and Welsh wine. A visit offers a chance to see some of the oldest working vines in the West Country and taste West Country wines made from similar grape varieties.
Plan your visit
For the freshest pick of the fruit, preserves and apple juice, time your visit for a Thursday or Friday morning when stocks are at their best. Wine buyers should telephone ahead to check availability, especially of the higher-end Sandridge Barton Bacchus Stop Ferment.
Whatever the season, Manstree offers an honest, hands-on snapshot of Devon horticulture - old vines, soft fruit, bees, and a nursery full of colour - all in one quiet corner of the Exe valley.