It is July and the lavender is blooming. Don’t miss out on the purple fields and delicate scent this season and head to the Mayfield Lavender Farm London for a memorable day out. You can go and visit the farm only or follow me for a walk from Ewell to Kenley passing by the Mayfield Lavender Park. Who said you need to get out of London to find the countryside? And here to another Oyster-Card-friendly walk!
You don’t know where to go and enjoy the blooming lavender? Here is a walking guide through the Mayfield Lavender farm in London (well not IN London but in Greater London) to make things easier for you. So lace up your boots and let’s dive into an ocean of purple!
Disclaimer: Hiking groups may offer the same or similar walks to the Mayfield Lavender Farm. Find out more here.
Logistics for the Mayfield Lavender Farm London Walk
- Distance: 16.1 miles (25.9 km)
- Total Ascent: 1280 ft (390 m)
- Walking Estimate: 5 hours and 30 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there:
- South West Train from Clapham Junction to Ewell West. The train also stops at Wimbledon Station. Ewell West Station is in fare zone 6 so you don’t need to buy a ticket if you are coming from London; Oyster Card or contactless card suffice.
- For the return, take a Southern train from Kenley to London Bridge. Kenley station is in fare zone 6 so you don’t need a train ticket to travel and you can use your Oyster or contactless card.
- What to bring with you: Even though it might sound all like “The Little House on the Prairie“, don’t be a fool, you still need to walk. And quite a lot. So you would need:
- Comfortable footwear and clothing
- A head cover, sunglasses and sunscreen – the walk is best done in July, so I take for granted the weather will be nice (maybe I am being very optimistic, it is Britain after all!)
- A backpack with water (2L minimum recommended). If the weather is hot, you will be sweating a lot so think of carrying an extra bottle with electrolytes to replace the salts lost in sweat.
- Money for the farm – the entrance is not for free, is a lavender shop so you will obviously get a little something there 😀
- Snacks and a packed lunch, unless you are planning to eat at the farm or at the cafe in Oaks Park. Word of advi Mayfield Lavender Farm cafe gets really busy during the peak season and you might want to avoid the queue by bringing your own lunch.
- Additional Information: There are customer toilets at the cafe in Nonsuch Park, public toilets in Oaks Park, visitors toilets in the Mayfield Lavender Farm London and public toilets in Farthing Downs
- Pub Stop: There is no recommendation for a pub at the end on this walk
Highlights of the Mayfield Lavender Farm London Walk
- Bourne Hall Park
- Nonsuch Park
- Nonsuch Mansion
- Oaks Park
- Mayfield Lavender Farm
- Farthing Downs
- Happy Valley
- Norman Fisher Observatory
Mayfield Lavender Farm London Walk
Ewell
Our walk starts in Ewell West Station. Ewell is a village in the Borough of Epsom, Surrey. The main landmark is the modern-style Bourne Hall, home of the library, a theatre, cafes and a gymnasium. It is situated in Bourne Hall Park, where we are passing through in this walk.
When you come out of the train station, take Chessington Road and follow the road until you arrive at the Bourne Hall pounds. Continue on the road between the two pounds and walk alongside the Bourne Hall Park fence until you arrive at the Dog Gate.
After, take left onto Church Street and take the footpath at the end of the street. Walk under the Ewell By Pass and you arrive at Nonsuch Park
Nonsuch Park
King Henry VIII used the 250 acres (101 hectares) of Nonsuch Park, surrounding the former Nonsuch Palace, as deer hunting grounds. Originally the ground of Cuddington village, it was demolished on the King’s orders in 1538 to make place for the construction of Nonsuch Palace. As its name indicates, Nonsuch Palace and Nonsuch Park were named this way as there was no equal their beauty anywhere else in Europe.
Nonsuch Palace remained unfinished by the time of Henry VIII’s death. Later, the building was pulled down by its owner at the time, Barbara, Countess of Castlemain, and sold piece by piece to pay off her gambling debts.
Whilst Nonsuch Palace no longer exists, you can find Nonsuch Mansion (also called Nonsuch House) in the park. Build between 1731 and 1743 and extended during the following century, the mansion was made to reassemble the late Nonsuch Palace. It is now used as a film set location and a wedding venue. You can find a cafe anmer toilets, which is really handy before going on a long walk.
Oaks Park
Leave Nonsuch Park via Warren Farm and cross over the railway tracks on Branley Road. At St Paul Howell Hill’s Church, take right onto Northey Avenue and then right again onto Sandy Lane. Walk across the Cuddington Golf course following the dedicated footpath and exit on Freedown Lane.
At the end of the road, you arrive at Oaks Park. This beautiful park laid out in 1770 is bordered by palm trees with a fountain. With benches across the park, this is the perfect spot for a lunch break. You can also have a cafe in the park should prefer not to bring your own lunch.
There is also a Golf Course and an indoor climbing wall in the park. After lunch, cross over Croydon Lane, and you enter the highlight of this walk, the Mayfield Lavender Farm.
Mayfield Lavender Farm
And there you are the ocean of purple.
Founded in 2002 by Brendan Maye, former Managing Director at Procter & Gamble in association with BioRegional charity, the 25 acres of lavender fields are a living example of how a man turned his dreams into reality.
In order to increase interest in a lavender-based fragrance, Brendan had the crazy idea to establish a lavender farm. After many years of negotiation, failures and pushback, the lavender farm was finally launched. Due to the business booming, Brendan appointed his wife, Lorna, as the director of the lavender farm. In 2008, Brendan quit his job at Procter & Gamble to dedicate himself full-time to the lavender farm business. The same year the farm opened for the first time to visitors. In 2014, an off-peak season Lavender Nursery greenhouse was established to welcome visitors all year long.
Related Content: A Guide Through Cotswold Lavender Farm
In the Mayfield Lavender Farm London, you can find the following:
- A red phone box and a tractor for quirky souvenir pictures or your Instagram feed
- A cafe
- A souvenir shop
- A tractor ride through the fields
Helpful information about the Mayfield Lavender Farm London:
- Address: 1 Carshalton Rd, Banstead SM7 3JA
- Opening times: 9 am to 6 pm every day during the season time which changes every year. For more information please check their website.
- Cost: £2 per person/ free entry for children under the age of 14
- Tractor Ride Cost: £2.5 per person
- Toilets are available but they are portable loos
- Website: Mayfield Lavender Farm London
Farthing Downs
After roaming around the Mayfield Lavender Farm London and the souvenir shop, you are surprised by the contrast of colours as you step into golden fields.
Continue the walk through Little Woodcotefollow Grove Lane all the way to Coulsdon. Walk through Coulsdon, a town in the Borough of Croydon. If you wanted to stop the walk here and go back to London, take a Southern train from the station taking you directly to London Victoria.
If you chose the continue the walk, this is where the hill walking part really starts with the Farthing Downs. The 95 hectares of chalk grasslands are opened to the public and are accessible by car. The Farthing Downs and the Happy Valley are the home of rich wildlife with a variety of species of birds, butterflies and flowers. Cattle and sheep have also been introduced to the site for grazing.
When you get to the top, turn around and you can see the London skyline afar with the Shard and the City as well as Canary Wharf business centre buildings.
Continue on the footpath up and down the woodlands of the Happy Valley.
Kenley
Leave Happy Valley via Rydon’s Lane and walk down towards Kenley Aerodrome. You are back in the golden field as you pass by Sunnycraft Farm.
Take the footpath on the left on Waterhouse Lane and you arrive at the Norman Fisher Observatory in Kenley. Still in operation, the Observatory is open to the public on Saturday nights if the weather is suitable for stargazing.
After the Observatory, take Golf Road leading to Hawkhurst Wood. Walk across the forest and on the other side you arrive in Kenley, an area in the borough of Croydon.
Cross over Godstone Road to climb the last hill of this walk. As you are moving forward across the Riddlesdown woodland, you can see Kenley at the bottom. View from the top, the area seems pretty, however, once you get there, it reassembles more of a ghost town than a pictures village.
We tried the pub near the station where the service was appalling, and without mentioning how dirty the place was. For these reasons, there is no pub recommendation for this walk.
No time to waste in Kenley, let’s get back to London!
Mayfield Lavender Farm London Walk Map
Do you want to do the same walk? Download the GPS map of the Mayfield Lavender Farm London Walk by clicking on the button below. To learn how to upload it onto your navigation app, check my step-by-step guide here.
Final Thoughts on the Mayfield Lavender Farm London Walk
Are you looking for more Lavender field walks? Here are 2 walks passing by the Castle Farm lavender field in Shoreham, Kent.
| Distance | Total Ascent | Duration | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otford to Eynsford | 9.6 mi (15.5 km) | 449 ft (137 m) | 4 hours 30 min | Intermediate |
| Shoreham to Eynsford | 4.4 mi (7 km) | 43 ft (13 m) | 1 hour 40 min | Easy |
| Hicca Way | 2.36 mi (3.8 km) | 6.56 ft (2 m) | 1 hour 10 min | Easy |
You can also find more information about the lavender fields near London here.
And you, where is your favourite Lavender Farm? Let me know in the comments below.
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