The dreamy lavender farm near London with £7.50 entry and endless photo spots
A lavender farm just one mile outside of London’s border has been hailed by visitors as a ‘dream trip’ and one of the best public gardens in England. Mayfield Lavender Farm in Banstead, Surrey, lies close to the border of South London and is a popular day out for those yearning to connect with nature.
Mayfield Lavender Farm spans around 25 acres of organically grown English lavender, laid out in sweeping rows that bloom across the summer months Alongside the fields, visitors will find an outdoor café, gift shop, and seasonal food stalls serving items such as crepes, hotdogs, pizzas, and lavender-themed treats.
General admission to the site is £7.50 per person, while tickets for children aged four to 11 are £2.50. Entry is free for children under four. Voyages passes including a tractor ride on the ‘looby-loo’ tractor are £10 per person and £5 for children aged four to 11.
Mayfield Lavender Farm is open daily from June 6 to August 23, from 9am to 6pm. The farm also boasts three food kiosks, selling crepes, hotdogs and pizzas.
You can even drink lavender lemonade there. Lavender lemonade is a refreshing, floral twist on classic lemonade. It is made by combining freshly squeezed lemon juice with a lavender-infused simple syrup – this is made by getting dried lavender which is steeped in hot water with sugar to extract its floral oils. It gives it a subtle, aromatic, and soothing herbal flavour.
Mayfield Lavender Farm was founded over 20 years ago by Brendan Maye, a former executive at Wella UK, which owned the heritage lavender brand Yardley. Maye believed growing lavender authentically could revitalise the brand and when the board rejected his idea, he partnered with a local environmental charity to secure a lease on the field at Banstead.
Maye became an executive at Proctor & Gamble after it acquired Wella, and later purchased the farm outright. He now runs the farm alongside his wife Lorna who takes charge of its operations.
Visitors to the farm have been more than enthusiastic. One TripAdvisor reviewer said: “Fantastic day out. Beautiful lavender fields with a red phone box and other photo props . The café is great ! The lavender lemonade is delicious and I had a tea and scone with blue berry and lavender jam . The train is great to go around the farm . It’s a very lovely place and the staff are so polite and friendly!”
Another added: “This was my dream trip. Beautiful scenery, went with my three dogs and husband. Loved it. Easy to get to. It is a very crowded area but when you walk into the field it is big enough to accommodate a lot of people and we sat in the field and enjoyed it very much. I would love to go back. The garden is heavenly.”
Mayfield Lavender Farm is open from June 6 to August 23
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