Catching up with farmers Nick and Lindsay Butler to find out how they have transformed Alton’s famous lavender farm over the past 25 years as the beautiful purple blooms come into flower.
And relax. A blue haze of lavender is emerging like morning mist while I sip coffee and gaze out across the landscape that has given The Lavender Fields its name. For a couple of months every summer, from mid-June (when I visit) to mid-August these fields are transformed into a stunning sea of purple.
Visitors are welcomed to this special place, found at Hartley Park Farm, between Alton and Selborne, in the depths of Hampshire’s countryside, to reconnect with nature, while inhaling the intense and uplifting aroma of fragrant lavender. It’s a place where you can spend time in calm reflection if you’re on your own, meet with friends, or bring family, loved ones, and even your pooch. This is a very dog friendly place, and I have already been greeted by Cleo, the resident dachshund.
Owners Nick and Lyndsay Butler explain that each season there are at least a couple of marriage proposals among the rows of lavender - with both occasionally asked to take discreet photographs. Families can bring picnics, and children are encouraged to discover wildlife. It is idyllic.
Nick comments: ‘Some people come for 15 minutes; some for an hour watching the wildlife; others stay for six hours.’
The Lavender Fields, believed to be the only lavender farm in Hampshire open to the public, attracts visitors from as far away as London and Cornwall. Many locals come every year. One couple, who have called their daughter Lavender, visit annually to photograph her among the blue, mauve and purple blooms.
This year The Lavender Fields celebrate 25 years growing lavender. It was, however, never the intention to become a visitor destination.
Nick and Lyndsay are fourth generation farmers, in a family whose farming heritage goes back to the 1930s. The couple took over the management of the business from Nick’s parents in 2018, although they had been involved from its inception, including harvesting and distilling. Nick had changed career, spending 15 years in banking, but he returned to the family farm because this is what he enjoyed.
He explains: ‘It’s about being master of your own destiny – even though the work that goes into this is immense. Hundreds of hours go into getting it to look this way. You pour your life and soul into it. But you reap what you sow!’
In his great grandfather’s and grandfather’s time this was a traditional mixed farm with all sorts of animals – cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens - and crops such as potatoes. Gesturing towards the lavender, Nick says: ‘This was a pig field, then it became the playing field for the farm’s cricket team, darts team and football team. We had 20 to 30 staff in those days.’
Nick’s parents grew hops on the farm, as the area around Alton was well known for. However, in the 1990s British hop growing declined and the Hops Marketing Board advised growers to diversify, suggesting that essential oils were the future. In response the Butlers started to grow lavender in 1999. Nick and Lyndsay may be celebrating 25 years of lavender growing, but the business has changed significantly during this time – moving from growing lavender purely to produce essential oils into a visitor destination.
The customer demographic has also changed. Once appealing to groups of older people arriving in coaches, now the age range is younger, from 25 years old upwards, and includes lots of young families. In part this is due to the Instagram generation: Lyndsay says she has noticed how the first thing many people do on arrival is turn their back to the field and take a selfie. There has also been a shift towards people wanting to reconnect with nature post-lockdowns, which has reshaped and shifted Nick and Lyndsay’s business quite literally.
Nick recalls: ‘When we took over in 2018, we were located in one of the old units in the centre of the yard (now housing the charity Dogs for Autism).’
Just two years later, this disconnect between the shop unit and the lavender fields caused a massive problem.
Nick continues: ‘In 2020, when conditions eased post-lockdown, everyone wanted to get out of the house. They would visit us, but as we were located in the centre of the yard, away from the lavender fields, people would either struggle to find the shop from the lavender fields or struggle to find the fields from the shop! We almost broke the yard with traffic!’
They had always wanted to create a shop and a café with a view overlooking the lavender fields and nearly ‘breaking’ the yard brought that goal forwards. Their new contemporary barn-style shop and café, slap bang in front of the lavender fields, opened last year.
It was a case of build it and they will come: visitor numbers increased exponentially.
‘We have gone from one member of staff to needing four members of staff in the shop at the weekend in just one season!’
This success also reflects a recent cultural shift in people wanting to spend leisure time enjoying ‘experiences’. With entry to the fields costing just £5 for adults and £2.50 for children, and families able to bring picnics, The Lavender Fields provides a very reasonably priced summer day ‘experience’. Every child’s ticket also includes a ‘We’re Going on a Bug Hunt’ kit with mini magnifying glass and sticker, encouraging little ones to explore nature.
The Lavender Fields also attract professional photographers and TV production companies – with appearances on Britain’s Got Talent and Escape to the Country. Ainsley Harriott visited for his TV programme, which aired in 2022, when he used fresh lavender as an ingredient in his lemon drizzle traybake.
The Lavender Fields may be open seasonally and weather dependent, however the shop and cafe is open year-round (except January). Here the lavender theme continues. The café menu includes lavender and honey ice cream made using their own lavender and local honey by Meadow Cottage, a local artisan ice cream maker. The shop displays a wide range of their own lavender-based products. There is also a variety of lavender plants (with expert planting and care advice on hand).
Everything they grow on their fields is for their own use. Their single batch top quality lavender oil is turned into an astonishingly diverse selection of products that includes lavender shortbread, lavender tea, lavender jelly, lavender mustard and lavender honey (from hives on the lavender fields, which are looked after by local beekeepers Honey Bee Happy). In addition, there are lavender reed diffusers, essential oils, bundles of dried lavender and much more. They have over 40 products in their range and add one or two new products each year - ‘Whenever we get a lightbulb moment!’ beams Lyndsay.
The latest is a Lavender Lip Butter, launched in May.
What next? Lyndsay and Nick are planning a programme of pop-up events such as evening BBQs and mini produce markets with profits supporting charities based on Hartley Park Farm. They are also exploring the idea of a children’s playground. So, the journey into being a destination continues.
Lyndsay smiles: ‘There aren’t many people doing what we do. We have something niche and now that’s being recognised.’
FIVE REASONS TO LOVE LAVENDER
IT’S ANTISEPTIC Lavender is nature’s antiseptic and works on burns, cuts, stings and insect bites. Nick explains that in WWI it was used as a wound dressing. They recommend The Lavender Fields pure Lavandin essence with a higher antiseptic quality than other lavenders.
IT’S CALMING Add drops of pure lavender oil in an oil burner, use a lavender reed diffuser or light a lavender candle to relax and destress.
IT AIDS SLEEP Use lavender bath essence in your bath before going to bed, or add a few drops of pure lavender oil to your pillow or your forehead.
IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN Lavender is said to soothe skin conditions. Customers have commented on how amazing The Lavender Fields soap feels on their skin while some men use the soap for shaving.
IT’S A DELICIOUS INGREDIENT Fresh and dried lavender can be used as an ingredient. Lavender works particularly well with lamb instead of Rosemary. When using dried lavender less is required as it has quite a strong flavour.
For the latest lavender updates visit thelavenderfields.co.uk and follow @TheLavenderFields on Instagram, Facebook and X.
