Sunflower Fields, Hampshire | Socially Distanced Adventures with Kids
On my bucket list of photo locations forever has been sunflower fields. Unfortunately we don’t have too many of them in the UK, but that does seem to be changing, with more farmers turning to this crop, with it’s rise in popularity.
For us in Hampshire, we have a brand new sunflower field from Steve Harris PYO, in Titchfield, and I sincerely hope this won’t be the last time we see this field blooming. To be honest this farm is surpassing my expectations all over, with our successful strawberry picking experience earlier in the summer.
The field opened on Friday to glorious weather (which we had planned to visit then, but it was just too hot for me) so we headed over first thing on Saturday morning. The field opens at 10am until 4pm, dependent on numbers visiting. I imagine they will run like they did with the strawberry fields, monitoring the crops and closing the field when they need to give the flowers some maturing space and time. It feels like a really responsible farm that obviously wants to give customers a good experience, but also provide plants (and fruits) that are worth paying for as well.
So about the sunflower fields. The car park is on the entrance to the field, with staff directing you where to park.When we arrived, very close to opening, they had maybe a handful of cars already in, though I suspect some were employee cars as it was really quiet in the actual field.
The entrance to the field is flanked by two sheds and payment tables (like the strawberry fields) with very friendly and helpful staff on hand. Entry is £5 per adult, including 6 sunflower stems each (cash and card accepted). They also provide secateurs for cutting which were all in excellent condition hanging on pegboards. You are also welcome to bring your own.
The field is set up with a great one way system – I don’t know if this is just because of Covid19 or just how they wanted to ease congestion, but it works really really well as they have created a big loop around the field, with a entrance area at the start.
Their tractor and photoboard in the main “lobby” area both have dettol spray bottles available for cleaning down too which I thought was a great additional measure in the current circumstances. The farm has also created little cut out areas which are perfect for photos so you don’t have to get in with the sunflowers as they are quite densely populated in the main areas. Don’t let this deter you though, there are still plenty of flowers and places to get great photos.
As fair warning, Steve Harris PYO have put up warnings about the bees, and their entrance tables include fact sheets about the bees you can see in the fields. There are a lot of bees, I won’t lie. BUT they are pretty uninterested in people, even when you get quite close and the paths set out are wide enough that if you do have any nervous attendees, they should be completely fine. There is also no shade at all across the entire field, so make sure you wear sun cream if you’re heading out in the sunny weather.
This was the perfect little trip out for the family, with something for everyone, and a great topic for learning with little ones too. And we came away with two vases full of sunflowers for the house which for £10 and locally grown is an absolute bargain.
If you’re Hampshire based, or can get here, I’d really recommend Steve Harris PYO. Keep up to date with opening times and relevant information on their social media page.
You can read our other socially distanced adventures here: