UK day trips can be just as stunning as international holidays
Looking for the perfect day trip? People around the UK are all using their annual leave for staycations following the pandemic, and we can't think of a better place to visit to get some Instagrammable shots than at one of the UK's idyllic lavender fields. Famous for its ability to reduce anxiety and its soothing properties, lavender is the perfect flower to help you relax after a busy week at work. You can get your wellness fix at the UK's blooming lavender fields between the months of May through to September, but it's worth checking the website before you travel. Here are some of our favourites to consider for your next summer excursion. You will need a car - so it's worth looking into a rent-a-car service like Enterprise if you're in need of wheels...
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Castle Farm, Kent
Just a stone's throw from the village of Shoreham, Castle Farm sits on the remains of an old Norman Castle dating around the 1100s. Home to the UK's largest lavender farm, stop by the award-winning farm shop 'The Hop Shop', to get your hands on Lavender oils, food essences, Lavender teas and honey, as well as carefully selected gifts, cards, crafts, seasonal decorations, food hampers and local, traceable produce. Endlessly beautiful and bursting with colour, this year access to the lavender fields is only available via a pre-booked time slot to allow for safe social distancing, so make sure you book in advance!
WHERE: Castle Farm, Redmans Lane, Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 7UB
WHEN: Open from Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm, however, anyone looking to visit must pre-book.
Entry fee: £4.25 for adults, £2.25 for 5-15 years
Stay longer? Check out the Plum Guide for a luxurious holiday home in Kent.
Mayfield Lavender Farm, Croydon
This 25-acre lavender farm is approximately 15 miles from Central London, situated close to Croydon station. Enjoy lunch with a sea-view of lavender at the farm's cafe, they have picnic tables seated underneath large gazebos so weather needn't be a concern - this is still England after all. And if your packed-lunch doesn't quite cut it, you can book a lavender cream tea which has the option of their unique home-grown lavender cider. However, If you prefer a faster thrill there are also tractor tours available which are an affordable £2 for 15-20 minutes. The gift shop even sells lavender plants for your garden amongst other lavender laced goodies so you can take a bit of the experience home with you.
WHERE: 1 Carshalton Rd, Banstead SM7 3JA - Nearest station Croydon
WHEN: 1 June - 31 August, 7 days per week from 9am to 6pm
Entry fee: £4 per adult. No entrance charge for children under 16
Stay longer? Look for places to stay in Croydon via booking.com.
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Cotswolds Lavender, Worcestershire
Take a trip to the classic English countryside with a visit to a third-generation family farm set in the heart of the Cotswold Hills. Beginning in 1999 with just a few plants, the lavender fields now boast over 40 different varieties, 140 miles of rows and over 500,000 plants in total. Unfortunately, the distillery is not open this year due to the coronavirus, but visitors can still benefit from the relaxing smell and stock up on products such as lavender oil and even chocolate online. Early-mid July is supposedly the best time to see the fields, but they will continue to be open until the end of July and possibly later depending on whether the lavender keeps flowering.
WHERE: Hill Barn Farm, Snowshill, Worcestershire, WR12 7JY - Nearest station is Moreton in Marsh
WHEN: 22 June - 26 July, open 10am - 5pm daily
Entry fee: £4 for adults, £2 for children under 15
Stay longer? You need to visit SkyesCottages for a dreamy place to rest your head.
Kew Gardens, London
WHERE: Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE - Nearest station Richmond
WHEN: The lavender typically grows from May to September, open 10am to 7pm
Entry fee: Adults £16.50, £8 ages 16-24, £4.50 ages 4-15
Stay longer? You can make a real weekend of it if you find a fabulous abode near Kew Gardens - the Plum Guide has loads on offer.
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Caley Mill, Norfolk
WHERE: Norfolk Lavender, Caley Mill, Lynn Rd, Heacham PE31 7JE
WHEN: Tuesday - Saturday, open 10am to 4pm for the gift shop
Entry fee: free
Stay longer? Check out Norfolk Hideaways for a dreamy staycation.
MORE: The best summer holidays to go on with babies and toddlers
Vauxhall Park, London
WHERE: 12 Lawn Lane, SW8 1UA. Vauxhall. Nearest station Vauxhall
WHEN: July to mid-August is recommended, open 7.30 am to 15 minutes before sunset.
Entry fee: free
Stay longer? You can make a real weekend of it if you find a fabulous abode nearby - the Plum Guide has loads on offer.
Yorkshire Lavender, Yorkshire
WHERE: Terrington, York YO60 6PB
WHEN: Scheduled for 6 May - 31 August 2021.
Entry fee: Shop, plant nursery and tea room is free admission. Gardens - £4.50 for adults and £3 Children (3-16)
Kennington Park, London
Kennington Park is host to an accumulation of small but punchy lavender patches which have been planted there for generations. Sitting alongside the olive trees in the Mediterranean beds and surrounding the garden's sundial you will most likely smell the blue, violet and indigo blooms before you see them. Having recently been replanted with two new species of lavender you can ensure you will get the full experience at Kennington Park.
WHERE: Kennington Park Rd, SE11 4BE. Oval. Nearest station Oval.
WHEN: July to mid-August is recommended, Open 7.30am - 15 minutes before sunset.
Entry fee: free
Stay longer? You can make a real weekend of it if you find a fabulous abode just around the corner - the Plum Guide has loads on offer.
SEE: 8 incredible UK hotels where the royals will staycation this summer
Hitchin Lavender, Hitchin
With 25-mile rows of lavender, as well as a sunflower field and wildflower area, Cadwell farm is definitely worth that extra mile out of London. From King's Cross Station it is only 54mins to Hitchin and you'll be rewarded with a vast lavender landscape which has been managed for more than 100 years by five generations. Also, you can take blooms home during the season meaning you do not go home empty-handed. What's even better, during the month of August the farm hosts outdoor film screening amongst the lavender sea - enough to soak out that smell of popcorn in trade for a lavender perfume.
WHERE: Cadwell Farm, Arlesey Rd, Ickleford, Hitchin, SG5 3UA. Nearest station Hitchin.
WHEN: Open July until the end of August, open 10 am to 5 pm. Bookings required.
Entry fee: £6, free for under-fives.
Stay longer? See the top 10 places to stay in Hitchin on booking.com.
Somerset Lavender
WHERE: Horsepond Farm, Faulkland, Nr Radstock BA3 5WA
WHEN: 16 May 2021 until September from Wednesday - Sunday, open 10 am - 5 pm
Entry fee: £4 per person
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