by Bianca
Lovely lavender, as far as the eye can see. Swaying in the breeze. Just outside London, lies the beautiful fragrant fields of Castle Farm and The Hop Shop. A burst of purple and scent amid the rolling green fields of the UK’s Kentish countryside.
How to get there
There are a few different train routes to nearby stations. One of the easiest is to take a train from London Bridge, and about half an hour later, you’ll find yourself in the green and leafy area of Sevenoaks. From here, it’s just a short taxi ride (less than 15 mins) to the farm which is located by the village of Shoreham.
A little bit of history
Castle Farm was founded by the Alexander family in 1892, who brought cattle down from Scotland and moved to Kent. Although the focus has shifted over the centuries, the same family still run the farm, producing crops of lavender as well as hops.
Take the tour
You can join a tour to find out the difference between lavender and lavandin and its uses, from relaxing pillow mists to uplifting tea infusions. Each tour takes just over an hour and you’ll also visit the very fragrant distillery area to discover how the essential oils are extracted.
Then, you can shop for lavender bags, souvenirs and baked treats in the farm shop, The Hop Shop. Make sure you try the delicately-flavoured, buttery lavender shortbread.
A fleeting flourish
If you’d like to lose yourself in the purple haze of the lavender fields though, be quick. Although they seem to stretch on forever, they don’t actually last forever. The season only runs for about a month. The lavender tours will until the end of July, by which time all the vibrant blooms will have been harvested away and carefully trimmed, ready for next summer.
Castle Farm tours: £8.50 weekday / £7.50 weekend (available during lavender, hops, apple and pumpkin seasons at different times of year).
Follow @rockskippers on Instagram for more travel photography and destination inspiration
Thanks for sharing this serendipity. °°🐟~~
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for reading it 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊🌴°°°🐟🐟~~
LikeLike
Wow, I was never a big fan of lavander – vanilla was always my go-to aroma – yet when it comes to Lavander fields, just wow, it is a sight to behold
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Yes, vanilla is also a lovely fragrance, especially for baking 😊
LikeLike
I so want to do this so bad .. might go tomorrow to be honest and then talk about it on my blog too.. photos are beautiful x
LikeLike
It’s so pretty there, especially in the sunshine! Hope you enjoy it x
LikeLike
Wow that is amazing. My Great Nan used to love lavender when ever I walk past lavender and smell it I think of her! x
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s amazing how fragrances can bring back happy memories! And these fields had such a lovely scent, as well as being pretty to look at too x
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is gorgeous. This place is getting added to my bucket list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s definitely worth a visit, it’s so pretty there! Hope you get to go sometime soon x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful fields. 🙂
P&P style ♡ ☯ ☮ — DIY — fashion — and more — ☮ ☯ ♡
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! This is so beautiful. I need to find some lavender fields close to my home to explore.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hope you find some lavender fields to visit. They should be quite easy to spot because they’re so colourful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The lavender fields always look so gorgeous, I love seeing them on Instagram!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes the lavender is very photogenic and colourful. They smell beautiful too!
LikeLike
[…] Interested in natural remedies? You might also like: Lavender Fields Forever […]
LikeLike
I LOVE lavender, and this place looks amazing! I can only imagine how intoxicating the scent must have been walking around the lavender fields. Hopefully, I’ll be able to visit the UK and this lavender farm sometime. Thanks for sharing! – Briana @ https://www.nextdestinationunknown.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the scent was just as beautiful as the colours! Thanks for reading 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person