About Hitchin Lavender
Hitchin Lavender grows on Cadwell Farm at Ickleford, just north of Hitchin, where a sixth-generation farming family has grown lavender for more than 25 years. Lavender has been grown around Hitchin since the 1500s, and a small museum next to the Old Barn tells that story. The farm distills its own English lavender essential oil.
The Main Field covers more than 30 acres, and in season you can walk the long rows and pick your own, with picking bags sold at the gate or along with your ticket. Next door, a 2-acre Display Field holds around 60 varieties and is free to enter. Bloom usually runs from mid-June to mid-August, depending on the weather. Sunflowers follow in August and are charged per stem, and two wildflower meadows flower in June and July. Look out for bees, butterflies, skylarks and sometimes hares.
The Old Barn Lavender Teahouse is set in a 17th-century barn and serves homemade cakes, with an outdoor area where children can play. Food trucks in the field usually offer ice cream, fries and drinks, and gift shops in the field and the barn sell the farm's own lavender products. In autumn the farm reopens for a Pumpkin Patch, 17 to 31 October 2026. Tickets are booked online and the farm notes they sell quickly.
Standalone Farm in Letchworth Garden City is roughly 10 minutes away by car, an easy pairing for families.
Lavender here
- When it blooms
- Mid-June to mid-August (weather dependent)
- Visiting
- Ticketed summer season with pick-your-own lavender in the Main Field and a free Display Field; tickets booked online. Reopens for a Pumpkin Patch 17–31 October 2026.
From the farm shop
- English lavender essential oil distilled on the farm
- Own-brand lavender gifts
- Lavender candles and soaps
- Fresh-picked lavender and sunflowers in season
Events
- Pumpkin Patch, 17–31 October 2026
What to do
- Pick your own lavender in the 30-acre Main Field, mid-June to mid-August
- Compare around 60 varieties in the free 2-acre Display Field
- Cut sunflowers by the stem in August
- Have homemade cake at the Old Barn Lavender Teahouse
- Learn about Hitchin's lavender history at the small museum by the Old Barn
- Visit the Pumpkin Patch, 17–31 October 2026
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Lavender mid-June to mid-August; wildflowers June–July; sunflowers in August; Pumpkin Patch 17–31 October 2026
Good to know
- Reservations
- Recommended
Tips for your visit
- Book tickets online ahead of time; the farm says they sell quickly
- Buy a picking bag at the gate or with your ticket if you want to take lavender home
- There are direct trains to Hitchin from London and Cambridge
- Bloom dates shift with the weather, so check their website or social pages before you go
Pair it with a nearby stop
Standalone Farm · about 10 minutes away
Standalone Farm in Letchworth is a short drive west for more farm time with children.
Getting there
Questions
Can you pick lavender at Hitchin Lavender?
Yes. Picking is allowed in the Main Field in season; picking bags are sold at the gate or with your ticket.
When is the lavender in bloom?
Usually mid-June to mid-August, depending on the weather.
Is there somewhere to eat?
Yes. The Old Barn Lavender Teahouse serves homemade cakes, and food trucks in the field sell ice cream, fries and drinks.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Hitchin & North Hertfordshire
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
