About Our UK Vineyard
The Vineyard is only the latest chapter in Shillingham’s story. Its history, precious ecosystem and fertility shape our ethos. We do not aim to emulate others. Instead our wines are inherently tied to the independent spirit that is Shillingham and Cornwall.
Our farming
roots
Shillingham has been a working farm for four centuries. In the 60s and 70s, it was a dairy farm and in more recent years a beef, arable and lamb business.
However, Shillingham’s micro-climate has often made traditional farming practices challenging. Winter can be wild, Spring comes early, Autumn can linger and Summer can be very hot.
Our early springs used to be Shillingham’s prime lambing and calving time. Renowned for brassicas to beef, Shillingham has grown wonderful food for centuries. From local dairy and veg, to the supply of the naval dockyards in Plymouth, the markets at the end of Brunel’s London-Penzance railway, to the beef, lamb and arable production of recent years, Shillingham and its farmers have moved every day with tide and time.
In this new chapter in its history, spring is no longer about 3am vigils in the calving and lambing sheds but rather time to prepare our vines for the upcoming growing season.
We started planning in 2020 and in Spring 2021 we prepared the land and planted our vines. And there our new journey begins.
A piece
of history
The original Shillingham Manor was sacked by the Parliamentary army on its retreat to Devon in 1644 during the English Civil War. The house was rebuilt in a more modest farmhouse style closer to the fresh water well in 1704.
In Cornish style, the remains of the once grand house have been, and continue to be, recycled across the farm and vineyard. The old North Door is now the entrance to the walled garden and cider orchard, where there are views down across the Chardonnay vines and the river beyond.
The original Medieval Chapel ruin remains a prominent feature of Shillingham today. There is no record of the Scheduled Ancient Monument being de-consecrated, having received its licence in 1318. We respect that fact and still treat it as a quiet place of reflection.
A hub of
historic activity
In the Second World War, Shillingham housed a huge barrage balloon and anti-aircraft guns to defend the Royal Navy in Devonport. The barrage balloon’s anchors and engine housing remain intact today.
In the weeks prior to D Day it was said you could walk the wide river from Shillingham to Antony House with dry feet as there were so many landing craft moored in preparation for the liberation of Europe. On 4th & 5th June 1944, nearby St Budeaux launched the US V and VII Corps that were to storm Omaha and Utah Beaches in Normandy.
A vineyard moving with the tide and times
A vineyard moving with the tide and times
A centre
of trade
Shillingham is home to a stretch of Brunel’s original London-Penzance railway, which wound its way across the creeks and inlets of South Cornwall. After its construction, Shillingham became a major producer of brassicas, which could be in London within 24 hours of harvest.
Four granite bridges of the Brunel era remain in use during our vineyard operations to this today.
Shillingham’s proximity to the river meant that it was also at the centre of the busy marine trade. Vessels carrying stone destined for Plymouth and London passed East by its foreshores, and those returning West stopped to off-load their “dock-dung”. This was the manure from the naval dockyard at Royal William Yard and later Devonport.
The dock dung contained a wealth of broken pottery and old, thick glass, much of which was uncovered during the vineyard’s soil preparation. It is now being transformed into a mosaic map of the vineyard.
A look to
the future
Shillingham was conceived, planned and rolled out by the three Ramsden siblings. This is a young, optimistic, and energetic project based on a modern, informal and accessible ethos.
Not least, and above all, this is a bold Cornish enterprise which aims to provide opportunity for the local community and encourage sustainable diversity in the rural economy not wholly reliant on tourism.
