Lavender fields have been calling me ever since I clapped eyes on a gorgeous photo of Provence on Pinterest. Row upon row of plump purple haze paled into the horizon on a misty summer’s dawn. I was instantly enchanted and knew I’d have to see them for myself one day.
But did you know you don’t have to go to France to see them? There are plenty of lavender fields in the UK. Read on for my list of English lavender fields and lavender farms with all the info you need to help plan your visit.
Lavender Farms in England
I’d never considered that there might be a lavender farm near me but after some research discovered that there are many home-grown English lavender fields and there’s one only an hour’s drive from home!
There is a lavender field in Sussex but the aromatic Mayfield Lavender Farm in Surrey is nearer to me and the nearest lavender field to London. I dropped by to get a quick lavender fix until I make it to Provence. Because I will get there one day…
Mayfield Lavender Field, Surrey
A wonder through a field of lavender is an assault on the senses. The sight of billowing blue and purple rows disappearing into a hazy horizon took my breath away.
Stepping between the rows of lavender, I was enveloped by the aromatic scent that permeated the air. And then I became aware of the gentle buzzing of happy little bees bumbling away in their sweet little world.
The lavender fields at Mayfield are selfie heaven. I’m not big on selfies (well when you get to my age…) but people were posing, pouting and posturing amongst the purple. A classic red telephone box in the middle of the field made the perfect prop for many a facebook profile pic and the red against the purple looked amazing. Little gazebos can be rented for private parties amongst the lavender.
There’s a café at Mayfield and a shop selling everything lavender from fresh posies to organic essential oil, soap, lotions and even lavender tea. The smell when I stepped inside was almost overpowering.
Lavender Fields UK – When to Visit
If you want to wander through an English lavender field you’ll need to know when lavender flowers. So when does lavender bloom? Well, it can vary from mid-June until mid-August depending on the weather.
If the weather is warmer earlier in the year the season will start earlier and finish earlier. Likewise, if the weather’s cooler the lavender will take longer to bloom.
There are English lavender fields sprouting up all over England and I’ve listed the ones I could find below. Hopefully, there’s a lavender farm near you so you can visit your own piece of purple paradise.
Check out the lavender farms’ websites first (details below) because some farms will only allow visitors as part of a tour. Also the lavender season varies between each one with some finishing mid-July and others staying open until the end of August and even up to September.
Read More: Best Bluebell Woods in Sussex
Where to find English Lavender Fields
Lavender Fields in South East England
Mayfield Lavender Farm, Surrey
Mayfield Lavender Farm – Croydon Lane, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 3BE. Daily June – September 9 a.m – 6 p.m. The lavender flowers from June to the end of August.
Entry fee is £2.50 per adult, sixteen year olds and under go free.
Parking is free to visitors who have paid the entry fee although it is limited. For SatNav use postcode SM7 3JA.
From London the fastest route is to take a train from London Victoria to Sutton or Cheam and then a taxi or cab to the farm.
No picnics are allowed on the farm.
Lavender Fields, Hampshire
English Hampshire Lavender – Hartley Park Farm Business Centre, Selborne Rd, Alton GU34 3HS.
Open Days for 2019 will be held on Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July from 11am – 4pm. Group tours are available on request.
Entry is £4 per person with under 12’s £1. No booking required. Refreshments are available to purchase. Some stalls/activities are subject to an additional cost. Parking is free. No dogs.
Lordington Lavender, Chichester
Lordington Lavender, Chichester – Lordington Farm, Lordington, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 9DX.
These lavender fields in West Sussex are open Monday 8th July – Sunday 14th July 2019. 10am-4pm (Last entry at 4pm, lavender fields to be cleared by 4.30pm).
No booking required. £6 entry for adults is paid on the gate. Under sixteens go free.
Some areas are not accessible to wheelchair users.
Well behaved dogs on leads are welcomed.
Castle Farm Lavender, Kent
Castle Farm Lavender and The Hop Shop, Castle Farm, Redmans Lane, Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 7UB.
Farm shop is open daily all year round, but for the Lavender the season is generally late June until the end of July. Mon-Sat 9am to 5pm, Sundays 10am to 5pm.
Entry is free to the shop, and to the Lavender viewing area (with a the beautiful Lavender Bench) but to see and learn more about the Lavender you’ll need to take a Tour which costs from £7.50 per person and takes around 75 minutes. Tours take you right out into the lavender fields and also over to the Oil Distillery. The ground is fairly level and suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.
Weekday Lavender Tours – dates are published in June here
Weekend Lavender Tours – book on arrival at the farm only.
On busy weekends there is a car park charge of £2 per car. Disabled parking available. Dogs are not permitted on tours.
Norfolk Lavender
Norfolk Lavender – Caley Mill, Heacham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 7JE.
Tours of the newest lavender field, Torrey’s Field, start on 15th June 2019 and go through to 17th August 2019
Hourly slots 11am, 12 noon, 1pm, and 2pm and can be pre booked on 01485 570384 or tickets can bought in the Lavender Gift Shop on the day (15 seats per tour).
Tours take around 45 minutes and included a brief talk on the history of Norfolk lavender and lavender oil’s uses. There’s a stop in the Lavender field for a while before returning to the distillery.
No prices are indicated on the website.
Hitchen Lavender
Hitchin Lavender – Cadwell Farm, Ickleford, Hitchin Herts, SG5 3UA.
The farm opens to visitors on 25th May 2019. From then onwards opening times are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and every other day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last entry to the field is half an hour before closing.
Prices are £6 for adults and £3 for children under 14 (picking included). Under five’s go free. Payable on the day – no booking required.
Please note that lavender flowering time is mid-June to mid-August so it’s best to wait until then before you visit.
Lavender Fields in South West England
Somerset Lavender
Somerset Lavender – Horsepond Farm, Faulkland, Somerset BA3 5WA.
Visit the lavender garden and the lavender fields. Somerset Lavender is open May through September, Wednesday – Sunday. 10 a.m – 5 p.m. Entry is free.
Lavender Farms in Central England
Cotswold Lavender
Cotswold Lavender – Hill Barn Farm, Snowshill, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7JY.
The fields, shop and tearoom will be open from 8th June – 4th August 2019, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with last entry to the fields at 4.45 p.m.
£4.00 for adults and £2.00 for children age 5-15 yrs. Under 5’s are free of charge.
Shropshire Lavender
Shropshire Lavender – Wellbank Farm, Pickstock Newport, Shropshire TF10 8AH.
2019 dates are time TBA
Entry to the fields is free, donations are voluntary.
Northern England Lavender Fields
Yorkshire Lavender
Yorkshire Lavender – The Yorkshire Lavender Farm, Terrington, York, YO60 6PB.
Yorkshire lavender has been going for over 24 years and the gardens and maze are open May, June, July & August 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Adults £3.50, Children (5-15) £2.00, Senior Citizens £3.00, Family (2+2) £10
World’s Way Lavender
World’s Way Lavender, Wintringham, York, YO17 8HW.
Adults £6, Concessions £5.50, Children (2-16yrs) £5, Family ticket (2+3) £22.00. Admission to Parking, Tearoom, Shop, Plant Sales areas is free – Dogs are welcome
Lavender Fields in Wales
Welsh Lavender
Welsh Lavender – Cefnperfedd Uchaf, Maesmynis, Builth Wells, Powys, Wales LD2 3HU
The farm is open most hours of most days throughout the summer and often out of season.
Have you visited a lavender field? If not you should – it’s good for the soul!
If there’s a UK lavender field near you that I’ve missed please let me know and I can add it to the list which I’ll update every year.
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Suzanne Jones is creator, writer and photographer at The Travelbunny. When she’s not indulging her wanderlust you’ll most likely find her enjoying coastal walks in her home county of East Sussex, UK.
Suzanne co-writes Sussex Bloggers which showcases the best of East & West Sussex.
Phacelia is grown in fields in Cornwall and that is beautiful too. Same colour as Lavender and grown as a pollinator mix for bees and a green fertilizer too.
We grew it for the first time this year at The Woodland Collection and will definitely be growing it every year from now on.
The bees love both so that’s good too!
Oh what a wonderful pictures. The phone box in the middle of the lavender fields is just amazing. Love it!
It’s such a pop of colour amongst the lavender and totally unexpected! I need to go back 🙂
Wow, this looks so amazing! I had no idea how many places there were in the UK to see lavender. Thanks for the list!
The fields are beautiful – a visit to see them is good for the soul!
Lovely aren’t they ? We went to one this year in the Cotswolds so picturesque!
I think it’s going to be an annual event for us now!
Oh wow, I didn’t know about these thanks for letting us know where they are! I will be heading out with my camera soon! 🙂
They are so photogenic but you’ll have to wait until next year – the season’s over now.
Aren’t they just gorgeous?! I went a couple of years ago (and may have bought just about everything edible in the shop – lavender flapjacks, biscuits, fudge :-D) It amazed me how close these were to London as it really felt like being in Provence and as for those gazebos, a friend of mine loved the fields so much she nearly booked one of the gazebos for her civil wedding!
How wonderful to be married surrounded by all that colour and scent. I have a thing about fields full of flowers; poppy fields, sunflowers or swathes of bluebells so I loved every minute of that visit – and so close to home! I think it might be an annual visit now 🙂
I love this list of lavender fields! I need to go to one of these one day!!
Go once and you’ll want to go again!
I had no idea there were lavender fields in England. So pretty!
They’re so lovely to visit 🙂
Super awesome resource here! I can’t imagine how beautiful this place is and how amazing it smells. Looks like heaven on Earth.
It was gorgeous – something I’m going to do every year now that I know how lovely it is!
So gorgeous! Cotswold Lavender is really not far from me so I’ve got no excuse for missing it next year after remembering too late for the last two!
You must go next year! I’ll try and remember to remind you… 🙂
So gorgeous, I would love to go there! I’m a photographer and this is a dream!
I had a lovely time with my camera – but it’s so lovely you should spend time just soaking it all in 🙂
Beautiful photos! I have always wanted to go to a lavender field that we have close by. I can just imagine how wonderful it must have smelled!
Thanks Christina, It was a lovely way to spend an hour or two and the smell was divine 🙂
I adore lavender and have always wanted to visit a lavender field. Your pictures and stunning!
I’ve been meaning to go for about three years – it was worth the wait!
Beautiful photos! The lavender fields of Provence have always been high on my list. I admittedly didn’t know they existed elsewhere. Next time I’m in England I’m going to try to add these to my list!
I hope you do – I think I’ll go every year now I know they’re so close 🙂
Such gorgeous photos – i’ve seen a few blogs on lavender farms but should really make a plan to visit one with my daughter.
I hope there’s one near to you, they’re so lovely to visit!