Hitchin Lavender Fields Guide & Walk

Experience the beauty of the English countryside in its most mesmerizing form – a breathtaking sea of purple. Hitchin Lavender Farm is one of the largest Lavender farms in the UK, with 30 acres (12 ha) of rolling hills and fields. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a romantic, or simply someone looking for a fun way to spend the day out, the Hitchin Lavender Fields are the perfect destination. In this article, we will explore the history behind Hitchin Lavender Farm, dive into what you need to know before going, learn about the most popular activities to do and how to get to the farm by foot. So get ready to relax and take in the beauty and serenity of this unique UK destination.

Hitchin Lavender Farm is among the most popular lavender fields in the country alongside the London Mayfield Lavender Farm and the Kent-based Castle Farm. Just a throw away from London and accessible by public transport, Hitchin Lavender is a great location to spend the day out with friends and family, and our four-legged companion!

Planning Your Visit to Hitchin Lavender Fields

What is Hitchin Lavender

The region of Hitchin has a long history of lavender farming dating back to the sixteenth century. It is therefore with no surprise that Alec Hunter, a descendant of the Cadwell Farm owners, along with his wife, decided in 2000 to start growing lavender to diversify their production. The lavender fields soon picked up the interest of locals and tourists who wanted to see the lavender for themselves.

The farm has evolved into an attraction welcoming thousands of visitors each year. The fields are composed not only of lavender but also of a sunflower plantation and a wildflower meadow. Once on-site, you will find a food truck with a picnic tables area, a souvenir shop with locally made products, a museum, a plant shop, a restaurant and a playground area.

What You Need to Know Before Going

Before we dive into what you can see when visiting Hitchin Lavender estate, let’s take a look at what you need to know before going to make the most of your visit.

When to go

When planning your visit to the Hitchin Lavender fields, timing is of the utmost importance to make sure you actually see lavender.

However, you need to time it right if you want to see both the lavender and the sunflower in full bloom.

Of course, check the weather before going as lavender fields are better enjoyed under the sun!

Also, try to get an Early Bird ticket to get the best price. If they are sold out, you can book your day ticket online, the prices are in the information table above.

What to Bring

Finally, you know when you are going and you have booked your ticket. What’s left?

What to pack, of course!

For a day out in the Lavender fields, wear casual comfortable clothing and footwear and leave the fancy hiking gear at home, even if you opt for walking between the station to the fields. To be Instagram-ready, pack a dress you can quickly put on above your clothes to get that perfect lavender field shot. A tip is to wear a light-coloured dress to stand out in the purple of the lavender. Something like white, beige or yellow will look gorgeous.

As you can no longer bring your own picnic due to the increasing amount of rubbish left behind over the past years, you do not need to pack much. Some water to stay hydrated whilst going up and down the fields under the summer heat (well it is England after all, so summer does not obviously equates to heat) and some snacks will be sufficient. Additionally, don’t forget to bring sunscreen, a head cover and sunglasses!

What to Do and See at Hitchin Lavender

So now you have your day trip to Hitchin Lavender fields all planned, here is what you can see when you get there.

1 – Lavender fields

Well, this makes sense. With 30 acres of fields and diverse varieties of lavender plants, there is quite a lot to see. The lavender field is on a hillside, but the incline is quite shallow, so it is easy to walk up to the top. Please note that unfortunately, the fields are not suitable for pushchairs and wheelchair users.

2 – Sunflowers

Go from purple to yellow or from yellow to purple, depending on where you start your visit to the estate. Adjacent to the lavender fields, you will find a plantation of sunflowers. For the colourful show, both the lavender and the sunflower fields are worth getting to.

3 – Wild Flowers Meadow

In full bloom during the summertime, the wildflower meadow is the home of many common British flowers such as the lovely red poppies.

4 – Food Truck & Picnic Area

At the bottom of the hill, you find a food truck serving Street Food inspired meals and snacks. You can also get hot and cold drinks from there. There is an area with picnic tables underneath a marquise adjacent to the food truck

5 – Souvenir Shop

Once you have satisfied your food craving, you can ease the pace by browsing in the souvenir shop. You find a selection of lavender-based products from essential oils to toiletries passing by food, drinks and home essentials.

6 – The Museum

Inside the barn next to the Tea Room, you find the reproduction of a lavender chemist shop with a mannequin dressed in a rural outfit. Take a look at the tools displayed under the glass cabinet and the products on the shelves.

7 – The Tea Room

If you fancy a more substantial meal in a restaurant setting, then the Tea Room is where you need to go for lunch. As you enter, you find an additional souvenir shop on your right with shelves of pots and a display of decorative objects in the centre of the hallway. On the left, queue up to place your food order and pay. You can then take your food to the table of your choice inside or outside.

8 – The Playground

Because kids seem they never run out of energy even after walking up and down a lavender field, you find a playground adjacent to the Tea Room, where the little ones can once more run, slide and climb with their new friends before going home.

Hitchin Lavender Walk

To get to Hitchin Lavender, you can take a cab from the taxi rank at Hitchin Station to the lavender fields. However, if you prefer to walk, follow my walking guide below.

Logistics of the Hitchin Lavender Walk

Highlights

Hitchin

We start our walk at Hitchin Train Station, Hertfordshire. Hitchin is a pretty medieval market town, ideally located between London and Cambridge making it an ideal location for commuters.

The River Hitz runs through the town; this is where our walk takes us today. As you leave the station, walk to the roundabout on your right and take a left onto Nightingale Road. Here you find a Mcdonald’s restaurant, where you can stop for a coffee and a muffin before heading to the river.

Continue your walk on Nightingale Road until you see the iron-cast entrance gate of Ransoms Recreational Park. Enter the park and follow the main path to the other side but don’t exit just yet. Walk behind the basketball court on your left and you find the entrance to a footpath running alongside the river. This is the Hicca Way.

The Hicca Way

The name Hicca Way comes from the Hicca tribe, which means “people of the horses” in old English. They used to live in the area in the seventh century. When the Danes invaded the country coming from the North Sea they followed the rivers and arrived near Hitchin, where the Hicca tribe had settled. To protect themselves from an imminent invasion, the members of the Hicca tribe decided to pay the Danes so they would look the other way.

The Hicca Way opened in July 2012 and follows the trail the Hicca tribe would have probably taken to go and meet with the Danes. We follow the Hicca Way for 2.5 km leading us straight to the Lavender field.

The first part following the River Hitz is quite underwhelming. The path is not well maintained with a lot of overgrown bushes taking up footpath space. This is without mentioning the smell coming out of the dirty river water from time to time.

You then need to walk up a couple of stairs to go back to street level as you arrive at a railway bridge. You need to walk under the bridge to rejoin the Hicca Way. This part of the walk is much nicer as you cross through meadows with tall grass before reaching a lovely park with dog walkers and children playing.

Walk across the park using the main path. Once you get to the other side, it is time to leave the Hicca Way. Turn right onto Arseley Road and carefully (there is no sidewalk) walk under the railway bridge. The entrance to the farm is just a little bit up the road after the bridge.

Happy discovery!

Map of the Hitchin Lavender Walk

Do you want to do the same walk from the station to the lavender fields? Simply download the GPS map by clicking on the download button below. Learn how to upload the GPS map onto your navigation app but following my step-by-step guide here.

Final Thoughts On the Hitchin Lavender

After visiting the Hitchin Lavender Farm, you understand better why it is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, who come to take in the stunning views. For those looking to grab some of that idyllic lavender experience for themselves, the farm offers a wide selection of goods to take home, from honey and oils to handmade soaps and scrubs and flower cutting so you can bring home some fresh lavender. In a world of constant motion and distractions, it’s nice to take a moment to enjoy the natural beauty of the Hitchin Lavender Fields. So, why not take a quick break and step away from it all?

And you, where is your favourite lavender farm? Let me know in the comments below.

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