Summer, Glorious Summer is here!
We have had our first heatwavetoo, with the mercury hitting a sorching 30 degree’s celcius. Now though that might not seem much to my family and friends back in Mumbai and Pune but here in the Northern Hemipshere the effcet of temperateures reaching 30 degrees are comparable to a socrhing Indian Summer.
But no matter what, am truly garteful for the sunshine, longer days and everything else that summer brings with it is a welcome change.
Of all the lovely outdoorsy things to do over summer, visiting a Lavender Farm is a great idea.
A few years ago, my friends and I visited Lordington Lavender and to date I cherish the memory of that beautiful sunny day. Spread across 10 acres in the South Downs, these fields grow a french Provencal variety called Mailette Lavender. Home to a family business that is known for their fragrant lavender essential oil they also produce a whole range of products. This wildlife haven supports wildlife and follows fertilizer and pesticide free farming.
By the end of our visit, I was comfortable enough walking in the lavender fields to relax (read ”lie down and doze off” – Yes that happend) and not mind the cute bees buzzing around. Don’t get me wrong, I love bees and will never ever think of hurting any cute creepy crawly or any other living being, but I do have a proper fear of being stung! That’s just ol’ me! Does anyone else relate?
The year we visited, the website for Lordington Lavender had a lady with a lovely red umbrella posing amongst the stunning fields. Luckily, I had a cute red umbrella that needed a bit of fixing. So off we went and used the umbrella as a prop for our photos and trust me when I say this we did click too many of them! By the end of it all though, my poor red umbrella had taken a beating and was in no shape or form ever going to be useful to serve it’s primary purpose. Sigh… I know, eye roll moment…
Visiting Lordington Lavender Fields
Every year they announce their open days on their website and there is a very nominal fee for visiting. People are encouraged to come and enjoy tehmselves, click pictures, enjoy a picnic and have a really wholesome day against the stunning backdrop of the beautiful lavender and the buzzing bees. They also have live music events and the venue can be booked for private events and weddings and private photo shoots too.
Getting There:
Living in Surrey, made it a very quick car drive for us. Lordington Farm is very close to Chichester.
Parking, Accessibility, Toilets
Parking is in a huge field close to the lavender fields and there is an accessible car park too. Blue Badge holders are assisted by the staff on site.
Toilets are available on site. Baby change facilities and accessible toilet is in the car park area.
Freebies
There is a free tractor ride available from the car park to the fields and is highly recommended if you have little ones with you! Even more fun is the free Hay Play. Adults can join in for twice daily free Lavender talks.
Photography
Camera’s are welcome and most people make the most of their visit by clicking away. You can also hire a professional photographer when visiting during the open days
Dogs are welcome too!
It is a wonderful experince for everyone if you are going with freinds or with family and even for the elderly.
To those who cannot make it to Lordington Lavender on their open days fear not there are other locations to go and enjoy equally breathtaking views.
There are many beautiful lavender fields around Surrey, Hampshire, Kent and Hertfordshire that you can choose to visit. All these farms are not too far from the capital city and offer a great opportunity for a summer’s day out admiring these vibrant blossoms.
London also has it’s very own gardens where these bee-friendly plants thrive and bloom. Amongst them Kew Gardens and Vauxhall Park are very popular destinations with peole thronging to admire the lavender during peak season. Kennington Park too has it own little spot where you can go admire this seasonal bloom.
*Not sponsored. As always all opinions are always my own. Unless otherwise stated all photographs are clicked and processed by me. Kindly do not replicate any text and/or images/photographs from this post or my website without my express written constent.
Leave a Reply