When I was looking at photographs on Instagram this time last year, I realised that I’d never been to a lavender field in my life. As I flicked through other people’s photos I vowed that I’d be more organised this year and of course I hadn’t been at all. To add insult to injury, my photography class are going to a lavender field this week but I can’t go now, because I’m working. We had an unplanned day in the diary on Sunday and I realised I could tackle a few ‘would like to visit’ ideas in one day. So off we headed to the Cotswolds and after a morning spent at Hidcote, we spent some time exploring Cotswold Lavender, and I can finally say, that as a 50-year-old, I’ve finally walked through a lavender field with my son!
If you are in the Cotswolds you can spent time exploring Cotswold Lavender, which is located on the outskirts of the village of Snowshill, near Broadway. It’s actually only a 5 minute drive from Snowshill Manor, which we’d been to a few years ago, and popped in again after our lavender experience.
There is a free car park across the road from the main site, adults pay £4 each, children aged 5-15 pay £2, whilst under 5’s go free. There’s also a shop and tea room which is open from June to early August, selling lavender ice cream, cake and lavender shortbread.
The site is a third generation family run business which has been growing lavender since 1999. In those days they were growing just a few plants, but fast forward to 2018 and they are growing 40 different varieties, with over 500,000 plants in total.
I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to persuade my eight year old to walk along the rows of lavender as we spent time exploring Cotswold Lavender. But he soon realised that it was quite good fun and he could even play hide and seek with us.
Even though the car park was fairly full when we arrived, we still found our own space within the fields and it didn’t feel overcrowded at all.
There were fewer bees than I’d expected, but there were butterflies everywhere, they just didn’t sit still long enough for me to take their photographs! My little bug hunter was in mini beast heaven.
It’s a wonderful setting to spend some time, admiring the views and taking in the scent of the lavender all around.
My son looked like a giant at times as he wandered through the field.
I wonder how much longer he’ll happily walk around sharing his adventures with me. These are definitely days to be treasured.
I’m glad we made the effort to spend an hour exploring Cotswold Lavender together.
As well as the lavender you can also see camomile growing, and as you walk over the brow of the hill it’s possible to walk around a fields of wild flowers growing. Of course it wasn’t long before my son had found a stick to keep him company as he admired the flowers.
It was a lovely unexpected addition to our trip.
You can also visit the distillery, but it’s only actually operational when the lavender is being harvested. The lavender has to be distilled on the same day it’s cut. Harvesting usually starts during the last week of July and continues until early August.
We were all glad we’d made the effort to spend time exploring Cotswold Lavender, and hopefully we’ll be back again next year.
Have you been? Or is there somewhere else you’d recommend we visit?
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It is a gorgeous place isn’t it. I’m surprised it looked so empty on a weekend afternoon, as on Monday by 11 it was getting quite busy. N would never have come with me unless I’d tricked him and bribed him with a park visit or bike ride afterwards.
We were lucky really, it was busy but everyone was spaced out. My son enjoyed it, it was something new, and sandwiched between 2 NT properties that he could get stamped in his passport – it was a win win thing 😀
This looks amazing, I really want to visit a Lavender farm but I think my eyes would stream from hayfever.
yes maybe
I still haven’t been and it’s so close by! I am not sure my son’s hayfever would cope and how to convince the boys it will be fun after they have already done the confetti fields. The lure of ice-cream and cake I think it definitely the way forwards. Thank you for sharing as I really do like to know as much information about a place as possible before going. They have updates on Facebook as to how tall it is/and whether it is ready to be cut so I have been watching that too. Do they sell any for visitors?
Not sure about lavender as it is but lots of products using it including bags
You are one up on my, I’ll turn 51 this year and have still never visited a Lavender field before. I think lavender must disagree with the South West climate as we don’t have any fields this way, but every year I marvel at the beauty of other bloggers photos. I think it would be wonderful to soak up the sight and smell of the fields. I’m glad you managed this one while your son is still young enough to enjoy it with you, I can just imagine toe look of horror on my kids faces if we did have a field near by and I suggested a visit! Definitely a day to treasure.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
I know, I’m treasuring these days whilst I can
How gorgeous is this??? I genuinely didn’t know that it would be warm enough in the Cotwolds to make a business out of lavender – it is something I have always associated with much further south. Very nice! #CountryKids
It was beautiful
I’ve only done that in France! Doubt anyone grows lavender up here in Cumbria..
lol no maybe not
What a gorgeous place to visit! I have never visited a Lavender field….I really need to. I think next year I will have to find one local to us. #CountryKids
It was beautiful
I too have never been to a lavender field, and I adore lavender, it’s my favorite scent. So, I’m very jealous! Love your photos and glad that you managed to get there 🙂 #countrykids
Thank you, it was well worth the wait!
My parents only live 5 minutes from here but I’ve never been (it was closed the one time we visited so I took photos from the road!). Love your photos, didn’t know they grew camomile too. I bet the smell was amazing #CountryKids
It’s well worth a visit, I need to go back because the idea of lavender ice cream fascinates me.
Looks brilliant. I’ve checked & there’s no lavender fields near us . Great photos #countrykids
That’s a shame