Cotswold Lavender
Broadway
Events Experience
Month: June
High in the Cotswold hills, overlooking the Vale of Evesham, Cotswold Lavender has been growing these purple, highly scented blooms for more than twenty years. The altitude, 1000 metres above sea level and the free-draining soil make this site well suited to the growing of lavender. The farm has been in the family for more than 6o years. It began with a hundred lavender plants all put in by hand in 1999. Now the farm has over 70 acres of lavender. This equates to almost 350,000 plants and over 90 miles of rows.
Cotswold Lavender sits on the edge of the pretty village of Snowshill and is just two miles from Broadway. The surrounding patchwork of purple-hued fields burst into life for a few short weeks each summer. The fields are open to visit for around eight weeks per year. This is usually from the middle of June until the end of August. Alongside the lavender fields visitors are welcome to wander through the wildflower meadows. Wildflowers love the Cotswold climate, and the farm has around 4 acres dedicated to these long-lost pastures. It’s a haven for wildlife and a wonderful spot for some beautiful photos. Paths meander through the flowers so you can wander at leisure without disturbing the ecology. If you’re bringing younger members of the family along then head for the Beechwood Trail. This is a woodland area with lots of areas for children to run and play.
The lavender here is distilled on-site to collect the precious oils. The process involves gently extracting the oil using steam from naturally softened rainwater. It’s an extremely gentle and chemical-free process. The oils are kept for a year before being used. Once you’ve explored the fields you can visit the Cabin to purchase the wonderful array of bath & body, skincare and fragrance made here. You can even purchase lavender tea, chocolate, biscuits, and scones!
To note: Dogs on a lead are very welcome and whilst there is no specific accessible access there is parking close to the field entrance that the farm tries to reserve for visitors with reduced mobility. There are also accessible WC facilities. The paths from the car park are gravel and there are benches just inside the main gate, only a short walk from the car park for those who wish to see the lavender but cannot walk too far. The fields have grass paths around the outside which may be challenging for those with limited mobility or in a wheelchair.
