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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of the Howardian Hills & Ryedale, North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Lavender at Terrington blooms June to August, a few miles from Castle Howard, with Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley Castle nearby.
8 places · updated October 17, 2026
🌱 What’s happening now
Updated October 17
🪻 In season now
Yorkshire Lavender · Ryedale Vineyards
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The Howardian Hills lie between York and the North York Moors, with market towns like Malton and Helmsley at either end and stately homes, abbey ruins and forest drives in between. Yorkshire Lavender sits on a hillside at Terrington, a few minutes from Castle Howard, so a lavender visit slots easily into a day of gardens and history.
Come between June and August, when the lavender is in flower and the farm's gardens are open daily. Spring brings the farm's season opening in April, and October has dahlia and pumpkin picking in Terrington plus autumn color in the Castle Howard arboretum. Woldies near Wintringham is closed for 2026, and Northern Lavender near Thirsk sells its organic products online rather than running regular open days, so Terrington is the farm to plan around this year.
The lavender farms
- Yorkshire LavenderLavender farm · Terrington
June to August; harvested in September
Open daily 1 April to 31 August (2026) with ticketed garden entry; autumn opening days for dahlia and pumpkin picking; workshops and events through the year.
- WoldiesLavender farm · Wintringham
Mid-June through July into August
Ticketed family day out open Easter to early September; closed for the 2026 season and reopening Easter 2027.
- Northern LavenderLavender farm · Asenby
Not open to the public yet; the farm plans to welcome visitors to the fields in future. Products are sold online and through stockists.
Best time to visit
Yorkshire Lavender's 2026 season ran from April 1 to August 31, with the lavender in bloom through June, July and August before the September harvest. Ryedale Vineyards runs tours from spring to the end of October. In October 2026 Yorkshire Lavender held dahlia picking on the 3rd and 4th and free-entry pumpkin and dahlia picking from the 24th to the 30th, while The Flower Belt above Helmsley opens for pick-your-own on weekends. Castle Howard's arboretum has autumn color events from October 1 to November 15, 2026, and its Christmas season runs November 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Eden Camp is open March 23 to November 13, 2026.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Castle Howard🏛️ Historic site · near Malton (York YO60 7DA) · about 5 mi, 10 min drive
A Baroque house by Sir John Vanbrugh with lakes, temples and follies, plus an arboretum of about 120 acres and 7,000 trees where red squirrels live and dogs get an 11-acre off-lead area.
Gardens open daily; house spring to autumn, then dressed for Christmas (November 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027); arboretum autumn color October 1 to November 15, 2026
- Rievaulx Abbey🏛️ Historic site · Rievaulx, near Helmsley · about 13 mi, 30 min drive
Some of England's most complete abbey ruins, beside the River Rye, with a museum on the monks' lives and the abbey's destruction under Henry VIII, and a cafe looking over the ruins.
Daily 10am to 5pm, last entry 4:30pm (as listed October 2026)
Paid entry; National Trust members free with a booking code
- Nunnington Hall🏛️ Historic site · Nunnington · about 7 mi, 15 min drive
A Tudor-cored manor on the River Rye with a five-acre organic garden, peacocks, a riverside tea garden and the Carlisle Collection of miniature rooms; parking is free.
Seasonal; open 10:30am to 4pm on October 17, 2026 (check their calendar for other days)
Free for National Trust members and under-5s
- Kirkham Priory🏛️ Historic site · Whitwell-on-the-Hill · about 8 mi, 15 min drive
Priory ruins beside the River Derwent with a carved heraldic gatehouse and a wartime pool where tanks were tested before D-Day; free parking by the gate.
Any reasonable daylight hours
free
- Helmsley Castle🏛️ Historic site · Helmsley · about 11 mi, 25 min drive
A tall ruined tower ringed by double banks and ditches in Helmsley town, with an Elizabethan wing that keeps some original paneling and plasterwork.
Daily 10am to 5pm, last entry 4:30pm (as listed October 2026)
Paid entry; 15% off when booked in advance
- Dalby Forest🏞️ Park · Low Dalby, near Thornton-le-Dale · about 21 mi, 45 min drive
More than 8,500 acres of forest in the North York Moors with walking and mountain-bike trails, a Gruffalo orienteering course and tree-top courses; a free 5 km parkrun starts every Saturday at 9am.
Forest 8am to 8pm daily; visitor center 9:30am to 5pm March to October, 9am to 4pm November to February
Parking from £3.50 for one hour to £15 for over four hours (as listed October 2026); no charge to drive through in under 30 minutes
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway🌉 Landmark · Pickering · about 16 mi, 35 min drive
A 24-mile heritage steam line from Pickering over the moors toward Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby; check their travel updates, as a bridge near Grosmont needs repairs.
Seasonal timetable; October 2026 half term (24 October to 1 November) has one free child ticket per paying adult on standard trains
Day Rover tickets 10% off when booked more than four days ahead
- Eden Camp Modern History Museum🏛️ Museum · Malton · about 12 mi, 25 min drive
A Second World War museum inside the original huts of a 1942 prisoner-of-war camp on the edge of Malton, with walk-through scenes and living history.
March 23 to November 13, 2026, daily 10am to 5pm
Paid entry; discounted when booked online
- Wharram Percy Deserted Medieval Village🏛️ Historic site · Wharram-le-Street · about 17 mi, 35 min drive
House outlines of a village abandoned soon after 1500, on a grassy plateau above a ruined church and millpond in a quiet Wolds valley; reached by a steep, often muddy walk of about three quarters of a mile.
Any reasonable daylight hours
free entry; £2 parking for non-members
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- ROOST CoffeeCafé or coffee shop · Malton
A dog-friendly espresso bar in a restored Georgian carriage house in Malton's Talbot Yard, good for a morning start Tuesday to Saturday.
- The Flower BeltPumpkin patch · Helmsley
Weekend pick-your-own flowers above Helmsley, from tulips in spring to sunflowers and pumpkins, with no entry fee.
- Ryedale VineyardsWinery or vineyard (21+) · Westow
A family vineyard and cidery in the hills near Westow with booked tours and tastings from spring through October.
- Brass Castle BreweryBrewery or taproom (21+) · Malton
Malton's own brewery taphouse on Yorkersgate, pouring vegan, gluten-free beers Tuesday to Sunday.
- Spirit of Yorkshire DistilleryDistillery (21+) · Hunmanby
A farm whisky distillery near the coast with daily one-hour tours and a coffee shop, worth the longer drive east.
A one-day plan
- 9:30 AMROOST Coffee
Coffee in Talbot Yard, Malton, then a look around the town's food courtyard; about 30 minutes (espresso bar open Tuesday to Saturday).
- 10:15 AMCastle Howard · about 15 min drive
About 15 minutes west. Walk the grounds to the lakes and temples and see the house; allow about two hours.
- 12:30 PMYorkshire Lavender · about 10 min drive
About 10 minutes to Terrington. Lunch at the tea room (Wednesday to Sunday) or a pre-booked picnic, then the gardens and lavender fields; allow about two hours in June to August.
- 2:45 PMNunnington Hall · about 15 min drive
About 15 minutes north. Riverside garden and the miniature rooms; about an hour. Check the opening calendar first.
- 4:05 PMHelmsley Castle · about 15 min drive
About 15 minutes west. Arrive before the 4:30pm last entry and walk the ditches and tower; about 45 minutes, then a stroll around Helmsley.
- 5:45 PMBrass Castle Brewery · about 30 min drive
About 30 minutes back to Malton for an evening at the taphouse; plan a designated driver.
Tips
- Yorkshire Lavender has free parking, and its shop, nursery and tea room are free to enter; only the gardens need a ticket.
- The Yorkshire Lavender tea room opens Wednesday to Sunday (and bank holiday Mondays) in season and is closed in October.
- Woldies at Wintringham is closed for the 2026 season and plans to reopen for Easter 2027.
- At Wharram Percy, non-members pay £2 to park by text, and the walk in is steep and muddy, so wear boots; it is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
- National Trust members get in free at Rievaulx Abbey but need to book with a code and show their card.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When is the lavender in bloom at Yorkshire Lavender?
The farm says June, July and August, with the harvest in September. Its 2026 season ran from April 1 to August 31.
How much does Yorkshire Lavender cost?
July and August 2026 garden entry was £6 for adults, £4.50 for children 3 to 16 and £18.75 for a family of four; under-3s are free, and the shop and tea room are free to enter.
Can I bring my dog?
Yorkshire Lavender welcomes dogs on a lead in the gardens. Castle Howard welcomes dogs in its gardens, and Nunnington Hall allows dogs on short leads in the garden but not in the house.
Is there anything to do at the lavender farm in the fall?
Yes. In 2026 Yorkshire Lavender held dahlia picking on October 3 and 4 and free-entry pumpkin and dahlia picking from October 24 to 30, 10am to 3pm.
Is Woldies open?
Not in 2026. The farm says it is closed for the season and will reopen for Easter 2027.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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