Where to find stunning sunflower fields near London

This educational farm-and-shop loves sunflowers so much it has an entire festival dedicated to the blooms each year. Follow the sunflower trail, pick your own blooms and gorge on pizza and local ice cream from the Pit Stop Café. There are also sunflower sommeliers on hand to help you choose and take care of your freshly picked flowers.

Contact in advance to find out which flowers are in bloom. Prices and entry points will be confirmed once the site has a firm opening date. 

M1 Junction 9, St Albans, AL3 8HT. Best to drive. Check www.thepopupfarm.co.uk. 

Pick as many bunches as your arms can carry at this Kent farm before sitting down for a breather in the onsite tea room.

Contact in advance (on this page) to find out exactly what is available to pick and how much it’ll cost you. Meopham PYO also grows everything from strawberries and sweetcorn to pumpkins and Christmas trees. 

Broomfield Fruit Farm, Ifield Rd, Meopham, DA13 0QH. Meopham rail. Check www.meophampyo.co.uk.

As the fruit season winds down on this family-run pick-your-own farm, turn your attention to its fields of sunny blooms instead. There are three sunflower fields dotted across its whopping 155 acres and the sunflowers are priced at £1.29 a head. Wanna mix things up? Have a look at the PYO dahlia and gladioli fields too.

Sunflowers typically ready to pick here from July. 

Winterdown Rd, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8LS. Esher rail then 458 bus. Check www.garsons.co.uk.

This family-owned farm is just 17 miles outside of London. Feeling adventurous? Take a spin around its Maize Maze, which is carved into impressive-looking shapes each season. 

Sunflowers will be ready to pick from August. 

Birchwood Road, Wilmington, Dartford, DA2 7HD. Train to Dartford, then 429 bus. Follow official social media accounts for information on opening dates of the Maize Maze. Check www.stanhillfarm.co.uk.

OK, so this spot is slightly further afield (it’s out near Crawley), but it’s well worth seeking out to find a whole 12 acres dedicated to awesome yellow flowers. Wander around the site, which has a rustic southern US farm aesthetic, gathering up armfuls of stems. They also provide burgers and bao buns to keep your sustenance up as you pick.

Turners Hill Rd, Turners Hill, RH10 4NA. Train to Three Bridges, then metro bus route 84. Tickets and dates released once flowers in full bloom. Check www.pyosunflowers.com.

You may know this spot for its purple crops of lavender, but there are yellow delights hidden among the scented stuff. Pick up a paper bag and a pair of scissors at the entrance and start snipping those stems. It’s been a tough year for the yellow buds, so keep an eye on their website to find out when they’ll be in full bloom.

Cadwell Farm, Arlesey Rd, Ickleford, Hitchin, SG5 3UA. Hitchin rail. £6, £3 under-14s, free under-fives. Check www.hitchinlavender.com.