Nothing smells more like a holiday than a subtle wisp of lavender in the air! After having visited Mayfield Lavender in Sussex and Castle Farm Lavender in Kent in the previous seasons, I decided to tick the Hitchin Lavender field in Hertfordshire off my list. A visit to Hitchin Lavender field is an easy day trip from London. Combine it with a nice walk and take a picnic for a fun and active day out!
The town of Hitchin sits just on the border of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This means great views of the rolling hills and lots of options for walks. The River Purwell cuts right through town and gives a lush look to the surrounding meadows. In short, this day trip to Hitchin Lavender field has all the ingredients for a successful summer day.
Walking the Hicca Way – Arlesey to Hitchin
We opted to walk the Hicca Way, because the start and finish are easily reachable by train from London. You reach Hitchin Lavender towards the end of the walk. This means you can relax in the fields with just a short stretch to the station left to go.
The Hicca Way is a short walking trail named after the Hicca tribe that roamed the Arlesey area in Saxon times. We walked the section from Arlesey to Hitchin (12km). The entire walk is off road (until the very end when you enter Hitchin) and well signposted. From the station, you quickly enter a footpath in a field, towards the River Purwell. The use of the word “river” is probably exaggerated for the narrow stream that is the River Purwell, but nonetheless it adds a tranquil and cooling feature to the walk. The river bank is mostly overgrown or fenced off to prevent cattle from entering. There are a couple of places though where you can access the river and cool down your feet.
After Hitchin Lavender the path became a little more difficult to follow, mainly because of brambles covering the narrow paths. Overall though, this is an easy walk especially if you take the day out for it.
Visiting Hitchin Lavender field
Since we were a bit slow to get going in the morning, we had our picnic lunch early in the walk. Then we lingered to enjoy the sun and the river and suddenly we had to crack on to make our booked slot at the lavender field! The slots have a start as well as end time, so I didn’t want to be late. The advance booking system was a consequence of the pandemic, but I was actually pleased it was in place. The English lavender fields can unfortunately get VERY crowded, but the booked slots and need for social distancing meant that only few people were admitted to the field at once.
We lingered, enjoyed the smell and took some photos, but quickly made out way to the top of the field to get out the picnic blanket and enjoy a tea break in a lovely setting. The end of the slots is announced with a megaphone, so don’t worry you might miss it.
Of all the lavender fields close to London that I’ve visited, Hitchin is without any doubt my preferred one. Mayfield Lavender in Surrey is pretty touristy. The fields were packed with people and weird props to take photos with. Revenue seems to come mostly from visitors and not from the harvest. Castle Lavender Farm in Kent is a lovely family-run farm with an excellent shop. Sadly, because of fears of damage to the harvest, you can only visit the fields on a short walk with a guide.
Practical – planning a day trip to Hitchin Lavender
Trains from London call at Arlesey and Hitchin twice an hour. Both stations sit on the same line, so buy a return ticket to Arlesey. We aimed for a train arriving in Arlesey around 1100 and we got to Hitchin Lavender for the 1500 slot. If you skip picnic and simply walk on, you could probably set of around 1300 and still get there in time.
Opening times of Hitchin Lavender are announced on their website as soon as the lavender season starts. There is a small entrance fee (I paid 4 pounds) and last year advance booking was mandatory.
