2024 Northern East Anglia Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Northern East Anglia in 2024, by county

Below are the PYO orchards and farms for blackberries and other brambles that we know of in this area. Not all areas have blackberries and other brambles orchards or farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Cambridgeshire

• Bury Lane Farm Shop - raspberries (red), strawberries, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, concessions / refreshment stand, restrooms
  A10 Bypass, Melbourn, SG8 6DF. Phone: 01763 260418. Email: customerServices@ewpepper.co.uk. Open: Generally from June to September. Directions: For a map to our farm, click here. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, AmEx. Click here for our Facebook page. (ADDED: August 04, 2016)
• Chaplins Farm - UPDATE: July 18, 2017: A visitor tells me they are now permanently closed for PYO PYO: strawberries, Raspberries, range of vegetables
  Babraham Road, Fulborn, Cambridge. Phone: 01223 880722. Directions: Exit to Newmarket on A11 then 2.5m to Fulbourn. Farm signposted. The farm shop has soft fruits and vegetables, eggs. Facilities: Plants & shrubs, donkey rides, caravan site with WC and shower, golf driving range, farmhouse cooking to order. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 12, 2015, JBS)
• Dawson’s Farm Strawberries and Produce - strawberries, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, eggs
  Dawson’s Farm Bungalow, Puddock Road, Warboys, Huntingdon PE28 2UE. Email: dawsonsfarmstrawberries@gmail.com. Open: See you at Christmas for Brussels and Cauliflowers and next summer for strawberrie;. PYO 13 December only, 10am to 1pm, no booking necessary but to check their Facebook page first. They are a husband and wife team who are passionate about farming and showing the public where their food comes from. At the minute they do PYO strawberries, Brussel Sprouts and cauliflowers but hope to expand in the future! (ADDED: 9 October 2020, JBS)
• Hill Farm / J F B Ivens - Strawberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries, Black / Red Currants, Tayberries, Blackberries. Summer vegetables including Broad Beans, Spinach, Courgettes, Sweet Corn, Pumpkins and Squash
  Oundle Road, Chesterton, Peterborough, PE7 3UA. Phone: 01 733 233270. Open: June through October, Tuesday-Friday from 9am-6pm; Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm; CLOSED on Mondays (except Bank holidays); Bank holidays from 9am-5pm. Free entry and ample car parking. Refreshments. Toilets (including disabled facilites). Picnic area. Playground. Hill Farm Birds of Prey on display. Directions: On Oundle Road 200 yards West of Alwalton / A1 flyover.  If approaching from A1 Northbound carriageway, turn off Left 1 mile North of junction 17. From A1 Southbound, turn off into Alwalton and follow signs to Chesterton.  Payment: Debit/credit cards accepted (50p surcharge if under £10).Hill Farm is a family run business open from June-October offering ‘pick-your-own’ (PYO) and ‘ready picked’ soft fruit and vegetables -
  ideal for freezing, jam and wine making, or just eating fresh. Set in attractive rural surroundings, on a hill overlooking Peterborough, the Farm also offers light refreshments and a playground. It also hosts a 5 van caravan site called Mound Lodge CL (certificated location). Picking seasons are weather dependent, so please note that this information is an approximate guide only. Please call for up to date crop information.
  Gooseberries Early June to mid July
  Strawberries Early June to early Aug
  Raspberries (Summer) Late June to late July
  Raspberries (Autumn) Early Aug to mid Oct
  Blackcurants Early July to early Aug
  Redcurrants Late June to mid Aug
  Blackberries Mid July to Late Sept
  Plums Mid Aug to early Sept
  Sweetcorn Early Sept to mid Oct
  Pumpkins and squashes October. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 11, 2015, JBS) (UPDATED: July 21, 2009)
• Lidgate Farm - currants (red and black), raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), strawberries,
  Prickwillow Road, Isleham, Ely, CB75RG. Phone: 07860727089. Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm June 4 to July 30. Directions: Take turning to Prickwillow at Isleham Church we are half mile from church on left. Click here for a map and directions. Strawberries June 4 to July 20, Raspberries July 10 to July 30; Blackcurrants July. Payment: Cash, only. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 12, 2015, JBS) (ADDED: June 26, 2012)

Norfolk

• Blofield PYO - Pick Your Own Strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries, Blueberries, Tayberries, Currants and Sweet Peas when in season.
  58 Yarmouth Road, Blofield Norwich. Phone: 07849 608662. Email: blofieldpyo@gmail.com. Open: from 20th May. Directions: A47 from Norwich/Great Yarmouth, at roundabout (Fina garage & Little Chef) take road to Blofield village, str. over traffic lights (by Kings Head ph), then 0.5miles to farm, rhs. Farm Shop, PYO and Garden Centre. Large range of PYO fruits and vegetables including plums, apples. Farm shop with meat, poultry & produce. Garden Centre, 'The Coffee Pot' serves light refreshments. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS)
• Hillfield Nursery - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, Apples, blackberries, currants (red and black), pears, plums, Other fruit or veg,
  Mill Lane, Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe, Norwich, NR14 6SW. Phone: 01508 548 306. Email: Hillfieldnursery@gmail.com. Open: all week 9am to 8:30pm. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. We have an incredible range of Pick Your Own fruits at Hillfield. With possibly the biggest range of fruit in East Anglia, there's bound to be something you like! Starting in May and finishing in October, its a great activity for the whole family. Children love picking fruit and it provides them with the education of where fruit comes from and how it grows- then you can take it home and eat it! Bring your own containers if you wish. Rhubarb - May-July, Gooseberries - June, Strawberries - June, Worcesterberries - July, Redcurrants July, Tayberries - June-, Blackcurrants -, Josterberries - July, Raspberries - July-September, Sunberries June, Damsons -, Gages, Blackberries and Plums - 10 varieties from July - mid September. 200 + Varieties of Apples! s. Pears - comice and conference, cooking pears. Quinces and Medlars - READY MID - LATE OCTOBER.  Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (ADDED: August 16, 2013) (UPDATED: August 17, 2013)
• Pages Farm - asparagus, cucumbers, gooseberries, herbs/spices, onions, raspberries (Spring, black), strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, U-pick and already picked
  Scratby Road, Scratby, Great Yarmouth, NR29 3NL. Phone: 07799 455373. Email: pagesfarm@hotmail.co.uk. Open: During the summer months open every day from 8:30am till 5pm; Open Fridays and Satudays during Winter from 8:30am till 4pm. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: The farm is located 10 mintues away from Great Yarmouth and 5 minutes away from Hemsby. Click here for a map and directions. Aspargus available from May, Strawberries and Gooseberries available from June to July, Raspberries from July to August and Onions from Late August to September; Potatoes and Vegetables available seasonally throughtout the year. Payment: Cash, Cheque. (ADDED: November 29, 2015)
• Swafield Fruit Centre - blackberries, currants (red and black), gooseberries, Loganberries, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red),strawberries, Tayberries,
  Swafield Fruit Centre Swafield, North Walsham, NR28 0PG. Phone: 01692 406667. Email: enquiries@swafield-fruit-centre.co.uk. Open: In season fruits to be advised and updated on our web site. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque. All fruit is naturally sun ripened i.e. not grown under poly tunnels. . (UPDATED: July 14, 2016) (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (ADDED: March 04, 2011)
• The Grange - asparagus, beetroot, corn (sweet), courgettes, cucumbers, gooseberries, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries (red), strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes,
  Fleggburgh Road, Rollesby, Great Yarmouth, NR295HH. Phone: 01493 740236. Email: office@thetacons.co.uk. Open: Farm Shop: Everyday 9am to 6pm PYO: Seasonally, daily 10am to 4pm. Directions: Farm Shop just off A149, behind Horse & Groom pub. PYO field next to A149. And for a map to our farm, click here. Crops are usually available in May, June, July. Asparagus: May to June Soft Fruit: June to July Onions: September onwards Potatoes: New potatoes June onwards; Main crop October onwards. Payment: Cash, only. The Tacons have been farming at The Grange for three generations. This Broadland farm is bordered by the Trinity Broads and boasts a wide variety of wildlife. Pick Your Own Strawberries began in 1980, we now offer strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries. PYO Pumpkins now available at The Tacons. Come and select your own straight from the field. (UPDATED: October 15, 2017) (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (ADDED: February 28, 2009)
• The Orchards Pick Your Own - asparagus, blackberries, carrots, cherries, currants (red and black), gooseberries, potatoes, raspberries (red), rhubarb, strawberries,
  S & J Carnell (The Orchards), Low Road, Walpole cross keys, Kings Lynn, Pe34 4ha. Phone: 01553 829506. Email: shop@sandjcarnell.co.uk. Open: PYO Monday to Sunday, from 8am to 7pm from 1st June to 20th August. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Directions: Follow direction signs off of A17 between Terrington Street Clement and Sutton Bridge. Postcode is PE344HA for satellite nav use. Low Road is located just off of Sutton Rd, Walpole Cross Keys in Norfolk which is 16 minutes from the Hardwick Roundabout in Kings Lynn and 7 minutes from Sutton Bridge on the Lincolnshire border. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. A portaloo is on site, with handwash and a hand towel. We are only able to take cash as payment, sorry for any inconvenience this may cause .(UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: August 02, 2014) (UPDATED: May 29, 2014) (ADDED: July 04, 2013)
• The White House - Strawberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Blackcurrants, Redcurrants, Plums, Cherries, Apples, Pears, Potatoes, Courgettes, Onions, Beetroot, Pumpkins, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Squashes.
  Blue Boar Lane, Sprowston, Norwich. Phone: 01603 419357. Email: thefarmer@norwich-pyo.co.uk. Open: late June to October on Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm ,Sundays from 10am to 4pm (closed on Mondays). Dogs are welcome, on leads, in the cafe and to sit by the fire. (Unattended children will be sold to the circus.) Debit and Credit cards accepted, plus cash back available. Minimum purchase is £2 per person if you enter the fields. Debit and Credit cards accepted. If you're looking for a fun day out for all of the family, why not come and pick your own fruit and vegetables on the north east corner of Norwich. White House Farm is the perfect place to visit when you're looking to pick your own produce and experience the farm first hand. Our farm is set in beautiful countryside on the very edge of the city, and is easily accessible for everyone. We do Pumpkins! Giant ones that you can barely carry, right down to baby ones that small children can pick. They are all grown on the farm, and have to be chosen and picked by the families. We sell our own pork and other foods sold locally.(UPDATED: June 20, 2018, JBS)
• Wiveton Hall - strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, Raspberries, asparagus, artichokes, carrots, potatoes, broad beans, squashes and tomatoes
  Holt near Cromer. Phone: 01263 740525. Email: shop@wivetonhall.co.uk. Open:Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.00pm and Saturday/Sunday from 9.30am to 4.00pm from late May to August. Directions: Off A149 between Cley and Blakeney. Own pork and other foods sold locally. The farm is famous for its fabulous Pick-Your-Own (PYO) opportunities and offers an extensive range of seasonal fruit and vegetables. When in season, all of these are available to buy from the shop and also the roadside stall. The PYO farm at Wiveton started in the late 80s and is one of the first of its kind in the area. After more than 30 years it is well established and boasts the best fruit and berries on the North Norfolk coast. Jam makers in particular love coming here to pick their fruit and our own jams are all homemade at Wiveton Hall. The PYO farm is open daily from the end of May depending how the fruit is growing. Produce grown on Wiveton Hall Farm is used to create several of the dishes that appear on the menu at Wiveton Hall Café. The farm offers Pick-Your-Own (PYO) Strawberries and Raspberries and grows an extensive selection of fruit and vegetables that are used in the café as well as for sale in the shop and the roadside stall which is open from 9.30am to 4.00pm every day in season.Please sign-up for our mailing list and we'll let you know as soon as the season begins.(UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS)

Suffolk

• Alder Carr Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, broad beans, corn (sweet), currants (red and black), gooseberries, raspberries (red), rhubarb, winter squash, strawberries, Tayberries, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, gift shop, concessions / refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  Alder Carr Farm Creeting St. Mary, Ipswich, IP6 8LX. Phone: 01449 720820. Email: farmshop@aldercarrfarm.co.uk. Open: Monday and Tuesday: from 9am to 5:00pm; Sundays and Bank Holidays from 10am to 4pm. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Alder Carr Farm is situated between the village of Creeting Street Mary, and the market town of Needham Market in Suffolk. The farm is within 5 minutes drive of the A14. From Creeting Street Mary, take Saint Mary's Road and turn left just before the river. From Needham Market, take Hawks Mill Street and turn right just after the river. Click here for a map and directions. March: Rhubarb (available for 18 weeks) June: Strawberries (for 16 weeks), Gooseberries (for 4 weeks), Broad beans (for 6 weeks) July: Raspberries (for 6 weeks), Currants (for 5 weeks), Tayberries (3 weeks) August: Autumn raspberries (for 8 weeks), Runner beans (for 5 weeks), Blackberries (for 4 weeks) September: Sweetcorn (for 5 weeks), Pumpkins and Squash (for 4 weeks). We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. Our award-winning farm shop & deli is overflowing with lovely produce. You will find our own highland beef, free-range eggs and award-winning fruit ice cream as well as locally produced food and of course pick your own fruit and vegetables in season. There's lots going on - see our website for a full list of our seasonal food events! Or why not browse the craft shops, visit our play area or farm animals? Our very natural Farm Nature Trail is very popular too, but make sure you bring your wellies!. (UPDATED: 02 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 23, 2011)
• Friday Street Farm Shop -Strawberries, Raspberries,
  Friday Street, Farnham, Saxmundham, IP17 1JX. Phone: 01728 602783. Email: enquiries@fridaystfarm.co.uk. Long established farm shop with an excellent local reputation for good foods. Directions: Situated near to the quintessentially English seaside towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold. It enjoys fantastic access to the A12 and A1094, the main Aldeburgh road. The Friday Street site hosts a large Farm Shop with attached Home Store, Cafe/Restaurant and a permanent on site Fishmonger. Seasonally, we have Pick Your Own (P.Y.O.) soft fruit. Owned and farmed by the Blyth family for 3 generations, Friday Street Farm has been serving the local community since 1976, when the Farm Shop first started selling a small amount of seasonal produce. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS)
• Goslings Farm Shop and PYO - 2024 Permanently closed, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, black currants, red currants, blackberries, and vegetables
  Goslings Farm, High Road, Trimley St.Martin, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 0SG. Phone: 01394 273361. Open: UPDATE for 2024, Google says they are permanently closed.

 

Brambleberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

If you are getting ready to pick some brambles, either at a farm or along the roadside, you might want some useful information first! Brambles are both wild and domestic blackberries as well as similar sprawling berries, which typically includes the various hybrids like Loganberries, Tayberries, Boysenberries, and raspberries. Brambles typically peak during July, but it can range from early June through October, especially since new everbearing varieties like the American PrimeArk blackberries have been commercialized.

Varieties of Brambleberries, Blackberries, Raspberries and Hybrids

There almost countless variants of brambles. See this page for detailed descriptions of many bramble varieties found at British farms and orchards.

 

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the plastic storage containers.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Bramble berries

1. There are two types of brambles to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick brambles or blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black, or a purple. Of course, there are a few varieties that are yellow orange or red when ripe, too. Typically, the should feel firm and plump and readily separate from the plant with a gentle tug. .
2.  Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
3. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it!
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup (228 ml) of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forgage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals. A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!