Bucket list moment: Cotswold Lavender farms

Sprawling fields of purple till your eyes can see, intervened with patches of green. I am talking about the supremely beautiful lavender farms in the quaint English village of Snowshill in Cotswolds. And yes, like the headline of the story reads, this was on my bucket list, since forever!!

I know for a fact that this post is going to be one of the most special posts for me on my blog, as it is about something that I had only dreamed of all my life, since I was a little girl. I watched this movie song from a Bollywood movie Silsila, and I was awestruck by the scenery. That must have been shot in tulip fields of Netherlands or the seasonal tulip gardens in Kashmir, I am not sure, but all I remember is, that scenery has stayed in my mind since childhood.

First things first, if you are in London and you have a couple of days in hand, please head to Cotswolds, and you can thank me later for the suggestion. Well, I will talk more about the Cotswolds later, as it will need a separate post of its own.

The moment I reached Cotswolds (Gloucestershire), I wanted to check off the first thing on my list – visiting the Snowshill lavender farm. Snowshill is a small village in Gloucestershire, England. They say, Cotswolds does not get snow very frequently in winters, but if it does, Snowshill happens to be first place in the region to receive snow, given the fact that it sits on top of hills above the other villages. Fun fact– parts of the movie Bridget Jone’s Diary, starring Renne Zellweger, was filmed in this very village!

My research told me that one could hike to the farms from Broadway, however our B&B owner disagreed. So, we paid heed to his advice and  booked a cab. A taxi ride got us there in no time, and as we were in vicinity of the farms, I could tell so, thanks to sweet smell of lavender.

Cotswold Lavender, as it is called, is a third generation family farm. The lavender grown here is made into lavender products that are sold in their little shop on the farm as well as online. In the off season, the fields are used for growing barley, which goes on for making beer. They claim to have about 35 different varieties of lavender.

There is an entry fee of GBP 3.5 for adults, which I thought was well worth. Summers (mid-June to mid- August) are the best time to go see these plants in full bloom, though it all depends on the weather and the amount of sunshine these crops get.

Usually, the farms are in full bloom by late June/ early July and the harvest happens towards the end of July. Even after the harvest is done, they leave some exhibit fields until early August for display. In the peak season, you also get to see the wildflowers in bloom, and that makes for a great contrast with the lavender blue. I got lucky to be there at the right time! 🙂

We spent a couple of hours on the farm, taking pictures and relaxing, and spent some more time in the tearoom, having yummy lavender ice cream and buying some lavender products. I have been using the products, and I love the fact that they are mild and natural.

I guess, this is one time, where not just my words but I guess even the pictures will not do enough justice. All I can say is, you have to be there yourself to know what it really feels like, when every time the wind blows, you inhale the lavender fragrance which soothes you, and every time you look around, it looks like a wallpaper. 🙂

Enough said, now I will leave you with some pictures from the farm.