One of the things that I love most in the English summer is visiting a lavender field. The dusky purple shades and the delicate scent in the air, makes the English countryside even more beautiful!
So if you're in or around London this summer, take your family to visit one of these lavender fields:
1. Hitchin Lavender: on this lavender farm in Hitchin you can walk through the 25 miles of lavender rows and cut your own flowers with a scissor provided at the entrance. Children love to pick their own flowers and play in a green tractor just in front of the field. For under 5's is free and adults only pay £6. There's also a museum with a replica of the "Perks & Llewellyn" pharmacy, well-known in the 19th century for their lavender products. It really worth go there and come back home with a bag full of lavender!
2. Mayfield Lavender Farm: the view over this lavender farm in Banstead is just stunning. You're also allowed to walk through the lavender rows, take pictures and have an Afternoon Tea experience. On the shop, you can also have access to a variety of organic products made with lavender like lavender chocolate, lavender tea, lavender biscuits or lavender oils.
3. The Hop Shop at Castle Farm: is a family run lavender farm in Sevenoaks. During the lavender season (from late June until late July), they do tours in the picturesque lavender fields and teach about this versatile crop, plus picnics and aromatherapy massages al fresco in the lavender fields.
Don't forget to take your camera with you and bring home some lavanda for decorating the house or making a lavender sachet for your little one's closet.