Norfolk Lavender, Heacham: A Family Day Out in Lavender Fields

Norfolk Lavender, just outside Hunstanton at Heacham, is England’s premier lavender farm — a working distillery, a lavender-product shop, a herb garden, a small farm with rare-breed animals, a tea-room, and (in late June through mid-August) several acres of lavender fields in full purple bloom. Off-season the fields aren’t the draw, but the distillery, the rare-breed farm and the tea-room are worth the visit year-round. Lavender thrives here because Norfolk is England’s driest county — if the fields send you home wanting some of that resilience in your own borders, our guide to drought-tolerant plants for UK gardens starts with it. And once some is growing at home, here is when to prune lavender so it stays compact rather than woody.

Visitor essentials

• Address: Caley Mill, Heacham, PE31 7JE, Norfolk
• Operator: Norfolk Lavender Ltd — live opening hours and prices
• OS map: OS Explorer 250 — Norfolk Coast WestBuy from OS →
• Season: Lavender fields are in bloom mid-June through mid- to late August. The rest of the site (shop, distillery, tea-room, rare-breed farm) is open year-round.

What to expect on a family visit

Allow two to three hours. The peak window is mid-June through mid- to late August — go at the start of the day or after 4pm to avoid the midday queues to walk into the fields. Free entry to most of the site (the distillery tour is paid). The on-site tea-room is a strong choice; Hunstanton is a 5-minute drive for the seafront. Combines naturally with a beach day at Hunstanton or Brancaster.

Eating at Norfolk Lavender, Heacham

The Lounge is closed 25 December, 26 December, 27 December and 1 January; otherwise open every day.