Mayfield Lavender Farm is located in Banstead in the county of Surrey, a short drive (less than 20 miles) from London and well connected by public transport. The easiest way to get to the site without driving is by travelling from Central London (Victoria Station) to West Croydon train station and board the 166 bus which stops a few yards from the entrance to the lavender field (the bus stop is called Oaks Park).

A small fee is charged to access the site (£1 per person) to help with the costs of maintaining the farm; for commercial or professional photography permission needs to be obtained in advance, a fee will be required to be issued with a registration card to be presented at the entrance; drone are strictly prohibited .

The lavender field cover an area of 25 acres (10 hectares) and it looks spectacular especially on a sunny day; row after row of purple lavender stretch as far as the eye can see with the colour changing according to the light; dotted around the site there are a few props to help take beautiful pictures including a customized red phone box and spaces to rest and enjoy the view.

Picnics are no longer allowed at the site but food and drinks can be purchased either at the cafe’ at the entrance or, from a steel caravan in the field with seats arranged under a large tree. Walking along the paths between the lavender rows not surprisingly there are a lot of bees, something to bear in mind if you are scared of them; if you are not, they are good for macro photography.

And photographers will have a great time at Mayfield Lavender Farm, not only the site is extremely photogenic but people walking around the field add to the photo opportunities with heads popping out of the lavender plants, people dressed for the occasion and people who came prepared with props (umbrellas seem to be very popular!).

As the site is quite extensive and people might not want to walk around for long, a tractor-drawn cart is available for a fee (£2 per person) to take visitors around the perimeter of the field. Next to the cafe’ at the entrance to the site there is a shop selling all things lavender: lavender oil, candles, biscuits, jam and much more.

As the site is only open when the lavender blooms (from late June to August), a shop selling Mayfield Lavender Farm products is open all year round (Tuesdays to Saturdays) at their other site near Epsom: the Mayfield Lavender Nursery and Shop. A visit to Mayfield Lavender Farm will probably take a couple of hours and can be enjoyed by the all family with selfies opportunities galore and picture-perfect photographic memories. And remember, whatever you do…DON’T JUMP over the lavender!