LAVENDER FIELDS WALK

By train from Central London 

‘Southern' trains run directly from London Bridge at approximately half-hourly intervals, the 12.20pm train arrives at Woodmansterne at 12.54pm. Connections are also available from London Victoria, changing at East Croydon. Woodmansterne station is in London Travelcard zone 6. 

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Lavender fields are usually regarded as exotic, and associated with the open expanses of the South of France.  However, until the turn of the 20th Century the low chalk hills to the South of London along the valley of the River Wandle were a centre of lavender growing, with a trade that easily rivalled its French competitors (Lavender Hill, in Battersea, is a reminder of this trade). The trade declined, partly because lavender went somewhat out of fashion in the 20th Century, but also because the growth of suburban London meant that the land became worth more when sold for housing development.

However in recent years there has been something of a revival of simple and natural ingredients, and in 2002 MAYFIELD LAVENDER revived commercial lavender growing on a site in the London Borough of Sutton, close to Banstead.

The farm had been used for lavender growing in the 18th and 19th Centuries, and had escaped being built on due to the creation of the 'Green Belt' around London after the Second World War. The family run organic farm grows two types of English Lavender, Folgate and Mailette, and a hybrid variety, Grosso. The farm also has a shop and café, which sell products made from the organic lavender grown on the farm, as well as lavender oils and lavender plants and just about anything you could creatively wish for based on guess what – Lavender! eg.fudge, tea, shortbread, soap etc. …..

After our visit we’ll be taking a different shortish walking route to return to the pretty Surrey village of Woodmansterne and if the group wish to, we can call into the attractive “Woodman” pub for refreshments before taking the train back to London.