“Hitchin Lavender”:http://www.hitchinlavender.com/ is a lavender farm halfway between London and Cambridge, just off the A505 that opens to the public during the summer months. As well as a beautiful hillside full of lavender to pick, there are two cafes, plenty of loos and a well stocked shop that focuses on lavender scented products such as honey, toiletries and oils. Outside there is a car park and a small nursery selling varieties of lavender plants. There is also a sunflower crop which we didn’t visit but which we saw people coming away from carrying sunflowers.
We visited on a sunny and busy Saturday morning in August and the sight and smell of the lavender delighted both young and old. People use the backdrop of the lavender for special photos and it is a popular local spot for wedding photos. There are plenty of bees attracted to the lavender but none of us got stung despite spending a couple of hours in amongst the crop.
Wheelchairs are allowed in the main field but the lavender rows are quite dense and you might not be able to push uphill, but that said, you can get the same view as everyone else by using the path at the edge of the crop.
For entry to the field, which includes a bag to fill with lavender and a pair of scissors (which you have to return), it is £5 per adult. For children between the ages of 5-14 the price is £1. Anyone younger than this age are free and blue badge holders are £4, with one extra person allowed access free of charge. We picked a few large bunches which was as much lavender as we wanted and still didn’t fill the bags. We felt the ticket price was good value. The cafés sell teas, coffees, cakes and ice-cream – even lavender and honey cake and lavender ice-cream. You can bring your own picnic if you wish.
Pick a sunny day and allow at least a couple of hours to do the lavender experience justice. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
