You will be astounded to learn that an overwhelming number (250,000!), to say the least, can be attributed to the worldwide existence of flower species alone. Each of these singly unique flowers, including our adored aromatic lavender, has its own very special variants. Flowers are emotions. Flowers depict life. Nowadays, it is rare to enjoy the bliss of an expansive open field with long rows of exquisitely arrayed lavender flowers. Well, there is such a place – one where we can all admire and enjoy, one day, our long-awaited feeling of relaxation and glamour. It is Hitchin Lavender.
Amidst the hillsides and fields of North Hertfordshire, England, is the Arlesey Road Cadwell Farm of Ickleford, Hitchin, which houses Hitchin Lavender. This offers, to a willing audience, an abode of lavender flowers, with no artificial colouring, nor pesticide, enjoying life just as nature intended. With 35 miles of purple rows of lavender and 8 variations of unique species, picking flowers is a norm for merely a token cost. As an adult, you will be asked to part with £10; for children (5 to 14), £5. This includes scissors and paper bags to use whilst picking flowers in this idyllic location. Hitchin Lavender offers more than just its royal lavender. You can also gather mature grown sunflowers and wildflowers and embrace their brightly shining orange pumpkins.
Further amusements at Hitchin Lavender include the 17th-century barn for refreshments, lunch, and delicious homemade cakes, as well as a fortress play area for kids. Need I mention that children aged five and below are free to enter this haven! There is also a model tractor venue to explore, aimed for the kids but adults seem to be, obviously, equally as interested. A further cafe is situated in the lavender fields for visitors, bearing their mats to enjoy their well-deserved delicious picnic. Trips to Hitchin Lavender are incomplete without a trip to their gift shop. They sell paraben-free lavender products, such as cosmetics, oil, soap, and even products from locally sourced areas. As if all these are not mouth-watering enough, they also have a cinema, museum and popular yoga classes to ease the stress and calm the mind. They also host various events such as weddings, for a minimal cost which will ensure lifelong memories.
Public opening begins from late May to the end of August, with visiting time set between 10am to 5 pm, including possible August extensions till 9 pm. Products are sold all year round, even on their website, where you can also confirm your bookings. They have an active blog and Facebook page, where you can keep up to date with recent sales and tempting offers. Don’t forget to take your camera along on the visit. Beautiful memories deserve to be preserved, or for £75, rent a digital camera to re-live these precious times.
I have said more than enough. Hitchin Lavender is the ideal palace, welcoming you with all its glamour where flowers are kings and queens. – though our presence in their royal gardens may be delayed in these present times. I yearn to wander through the gardens, capturing images once again on my camera, to store, enjoy and passionately share, and to bottle the lush aroma of nature at its finest. A photographer’s delight! A gift of nature. These days will soon return. We may all be in lockdown, but Hitchin Lavender is an unforgettable reward waiting to be claimed.
Address: Cadwell farm, Arlesey Rd, Ickleford, Hitchin SG5 3UA
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