Lavender fields in London

Hitchin Lavender

Okay – it’s located a little further out of town than you might be used to, but make the journey up to Hitchin Lavender at Cadwell Farm and you’ll be rewarded by a true purple paradise. The farm has been managed by five generations for more than 100 years, and the indigo flowers here were introduced back in 2000. During the flowering season you can wade through the silvery grey foliage and pick some blooms to take home with you.

Throughout August there’s a programme of perfume-laden outdoor film screenings, and during the day the farm shop is open for you to stock up on pretty much any kind of lavender product imaginable. Make sure you delve into the glorious sunflower fields, too. Worth going that extra mile for.

To keep everyone safe, Hitchin Lavender asks that visitors book a time slot in advance, here. 

Cadwell Farm, Arlesey Rd, Ickleford, Hitchin, SG5 3UA. Hitchin rail. Until Aug 31, 10am-5pm. £6, free for under-fives.

Kew Gardens

London’s botanical treasure trove holds tons of eyepopping flora, but make sure you seek out the spikes of violet-blue lavender peering out from the sculpted foliage of the Duchess Border, growing (appropriately) along the outside wall of the Duke’s Garden. The regal border has been a test bed for Kew’s lavender and other Mediterranean plants since 1990. You can also spot various patches of the purple blooms dotted around the 250-year-old gardens, such as alongside the luscious plant life in the Prince of Wales Conservatory.

Visitors must book a time slot in advance before arriving at Kew to help the garden stagger entry flow and reduce queues.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE. Kew Gardens tube. Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat-Sun 8am-8pm. £16.50, £14.50 concs, £4.50 ages 4-15, free for under-fours. 

Mayfield Lavender

You’ll smell these rolling, perfumed fields long before you see them. Set up in 2006 to help revive the historic lavender industry, which boomed here in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the 25-acre farm harvests its lavender and distils its oil on the original Victorian site. Visitors can wander through the rows of purple, enjoy lavender tea and a scone in the alfresco restaurant and browse the gift shop for aromatic treats. Social-distancing measures are in place. 

1 Carshalton Rd, Banstead, SM7 3JA. Belmont rail. Until Aug 31, 9am-6pm. £4, kids free.

The Hop Shop at Castle Farm