Mayfield Lavender Farm
The lavender season in Mayfield Lavander Farm is coming, although each year may vary, from June to September you can participate in one of the England's most fascinating landscapes . This spectacle for your five senses is located in Banstead, Surrey, the county of rural tourism par excellence 24 km from London.
The farm, which has become a country attraction, is the brainchild of Brendan Maye, the former managing director of Wella UK's fragrance division. At the time, Wella owned Yardley, an old English brand of Lavender. To make it grow, Brendan proposed opening a farm where they could grow lavender themselves, but it didn't work out.
So Brendan wanted make your dream come true by other means, and after many years it paid off in 2008 when he decided to leave the business world to create, together with his wife, the lavender farm of Mayfield Lavender , rehabilitating it and turning it into what it is today: the largest organic lavender farm in the UK.
A spectacle of nature.
And it is no coincidence that it was here, since 100 years ago this was the most important place for growing lavender, a lost tradition that is now resurfacing and that you can see first-hand in the banstead farm , open seasonally only, and at the Epsom Store and Nursery, open year-round. In the latter you can buy organic cosmetics made from lavender, seeds, learn to grow them yourself or take a nice bouquet of flowers to home.
But without a doubt, when it is full of life it is in the months June to September when all the fields turn deep purple because the lavender is in bloom. The expectation is such that they recommend, especially in July and August, do the excursion during the week.
A walk through the lavender fields in bloom.
what can you do in Mayfield ? Here you can enjoy a delicious lunch or snack at their outdoor cafe with picnic tables (no outside food allowed), they have homemade cakes, lavender teas and barbecue. They even serve a lavender cider made by themselves.
Once in the field, the possibilities are varied. One of the activities you can do is a tractor ride , which lasts between 15 to 20 minutes, and where you can see three different kinds of organic lavender , in addition to its happy butterflies and bees. These rides cost about two pounds per person, and you can buy them on the spot. Or how about picking up a book and sitting down to read surrounded by acres of lavender?
You can also organize private parties for up to 16 people, and private group visits. But without a doubt, one of the ones that is gaining strength is his photography contest . Every year they receive more photographs and videos , so they raffle for the best 200 pounds as a prize. These are the images of the previous years.