If you’ve been browsing Instagram recently you will have been hard pushed not to have seen some photos of majestic lavender fields. I am lucky in that I live very close to one of Kent’s most photographed lavender growers; Castle Farm in Shoreham, who really take advantage of the season with all sorts of activities from tours of their fields and facilities to massages, pilates and picnics amongst their fragrant crop.
Despite having lived nearby for many, many years, I had never visited during the lavender season but this year I decided I wanted to join in the frivolity so I recently decided on joining one of their tours along with my visiting grandmother, mother, sister and my sister’s friend to see what all the fuss was about!
Family-run Castle Farm is the biggest lavender farm in the UK and from late June into August the fields around the farm are simply overflowing with purple flowers, making it the jewel of the Darent valley. The main export of the farm is their Kentish lavender oil which is both sold as is, as well as being made into all manner of delightful household items such as lavender tea, jams, sleep balms, lemonade, decorations and food essences.
The tour included experiencing the lavender fields up close and personal as well as seeing inside the oil distillery where the flowers and converted into the aromatic oil many of us enjoy at home. We were met by our tour guide, Phil, who is the manager of the farm’s HopShop and shown across the road to the fields where we were educated in all things lavender including which varieties were being grown and what they were used for, the difference between Lavender and Lavandin and the methods in which the lavender is picked.
Lavender oil is relaxing and is perfect for use in the bath or on your pillow for a good night’s sleep. It is also lovely when used for a soothing massage. Lavender oil also has antiseptic properties and can be used lightly on the skin to help reduce itching or inflammation. It has been a traditional remedy for burns and strings for many years.
Lavandin oil is more invigorating and is used in many cosmetics and toiletries. It has a strong camphor fragrance which makes it an excellent insect repellant. Put a few drops on a handkerchief to help clear a stuffy nose, add to washing powder for a fabulous scent on your clothes and bedding, deter flies by painting on window glass or simply inhale as a stimulant to counteract drowsiness.
Castle Farm grows four different types of lavender including the dark blue ‘Folgate’ and ‘Super Blue’ Lavender which are cut by hand and made into decorative bunches, as well as the strongly-scented Lavandin ‘Maillette’ and ‘Grosso’ which are harvested by a large cutting machine and distilled to produce high-quality essential oils for use in perfumes, aromatherapy, toiletries, candles, household products as well as pharmaceuticals.
After exploring the fields (and getting tonnes of photos!) we were shown into the distillery where the real magic happens. Phil explained to us how the lavender is steamed to release its oil and then this hot water is cooled which condenses the steam into water. This lavender water is then filtered, allowing the oil which sits on top of the water to be collected. They keep a tally of the amount of oil produced every year painted up on the wall and the employees have a wager between them to guess the year’s total.
Of course, after the tour we all eagerly headed to the shop and purchased lots of lavender goods. I picked up some edible lavender flowers and essence which I will be using to make a vegan lavender ice cream (post coming soon), as well as some lavender sleep balm which I massage into my temples at night for a restful sleep.
I really enjoyed my visit to the Castle Farm lavender fields and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this beautful, fragrant flower (and get lots of amazing photographs for instagram!)
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