For years now I’ve seen people’s photos in fields of beautiful lavender and marvelled at how beautiful it all looked. I knew Mayfield Lavender Farm was near us, but I hadn’t quite clocked just how close it was - only 30 minutes drive away! At £1 for an adult entry, I thought it would be a lovely way to spend a morning, so we headed there last Monday morning, arriving early with the intention of beating the crowds.

We arrived just after opening at 9am and it was far less busy than I’d expected - it was perfectly possible to wander in and feel like you were the only people there. It was one of those days for us - I was feeling quite down, and Max was in a grumpy mood too, and at first he didn’t want to explore at all. We ended up just sitting down amongst the lavender for quite a while just having a cuddle. But there is something so calming and restorative about the smell of lavender - you feel the fragrance filling your nostrils, the sound of the bees buzzing, and all around you are bursts of purple blooms, as far as the eye can see. As we sat there together, I could feel the scent start to work it’s intoxicating magic on me, and Max seemed to perk up too.

 

 

 

Before long, he was making friends with a little girl there with her mum - I took some photos of the two of them for her, and then Max started chasing the little girl down the lavender trails. It’s so lovely these days to see how friendly he is with other children - he’s suddenly made that leap into wanting to play with them, rather than just doing his own thing.

 

 

It’s the perfect backdrop to get some lovely photos - I was so pleased with some of the shots I managed to capture of Max. I loved the completely random red phone box too - just plonked in the middle of the field, because, why not?

Mayfield Lavender Farm has numerous little places to stop and sit too - little huts are sprinkled across the fields, and a little airstream cafe and picnic area makes it a great place to stop for a drink and a sit down. There is also a little shop, selling all kinds of lavender produce from plants, to lavender oil, candles, tea, and ice-cream.

 

Information:

Mayfield Lavender Farm, 1 Carshalton Road, Banstead, SM7 3JA

Website: http://www.mayfieldlavender.com/

Opening times: 9am - 6pm, June 1 to Sept 14

Entry fee: £1