Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Greater London and Surrey, England 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.
Greater London
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Parkside Farm - beetroot, blackberries, broad beans, corn
(sweet), courgettes, cucumbers, currants (red and black), green beans,
onions, plums, Raspberries, winter squash, strawberries, Tayberries,
tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, restrooms,
picnic area
Hadley Road, Enfield, EN2 8LA. Phone: 020 8367 2035. Fax: 020 8367 2035. Open: June to September; Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm), Sunday from 9am-5pm (last entry 4pm) Closed Mondays October; Times May vary Ring 020 8367 2035 to check. Season starts sometime in early June (depending on weather!) with strawberries carrying on until the middle of October with a wide range of soft fruit and vegetable crops. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Junction J24/M25, Take A1005 towards Enfield, Turn right after Royal Chase Hotel into Oak Avenue, Right again at T junction into Hadley Road and Parkside Farm is 1/4 mile on right. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Other Vegetables; Spinach, Swiss Chard. Parkside Farm has just won the FARMA National Pick Your Own of the Year Award for 2009. Most of our strawberries are now grown on "Table-Tops" (ie at waist height) which saves all that bending! We grow nearly 20 different fruits and vegetables which are grown exclusively for Pick-Your-Own between June and October. We pride ourselves on the quality of our produce, which is "as fresh as it gets"! Crops include “table-top” strawberries (no bending required), Raspberries, beans and sweetcorn. The farm is set in the beautiful rolling greenbelt countryside just to the north of Enfield, and yet is easily accessible from all the surrounding areas. The 2013 season will inevitably be later than usual, with the first of the strawberries not expected until mid June at the earliest. The good news might be that we are much less likely to suffer from frost damage in late spring, as all the crops are so far behind! Minimum Charge; This will be increasing in 2013 to £3 per adult/child, which just means that everyone entering the field has to spend atleast £3 on PYO fruit/veg. Ample Car Parking, Toilets (including Disabled), Containers Available, Picnic Area, Debit Cards accepted. Typical crop availability is shown in the chart at right. (always phone before you go to check availability).
(UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)(UPDATED: January 19, 2009)
A visitor writes on July 26, 2013: "We went to Parkside and it was brilliant!!!!!! The experience was fantastic! It was my first time and I was absolutely excited. The farm was very nice, the staff explained stuff and gave us the tubs. We picked strawberries, beetroot (really nice sized) courgettes and French beans and broad beans. Three of us went with a toddler & a baby and the min. purchase was 8 pounds (2 each, inc the toddler) . I absolutely loved the experience and will deffo go again(and again), but to a diff farm perhaps. :o) "
Surrey
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Avalon Garden Centre and PYO - blueberries,
currants (red and black), gooseberries, raspberries (red), raspberries
(Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries
(Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black),
raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), rhubarb,
strawberries, Tayberries,
Tilford Road, Churt, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 2ll. Phone: 01428 604842. Email: avalongardencentre@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5:30 pm and Sunday 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Well stocked local Garden Centre. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)(UPDATED: July 22, 2010) -
Crockford Bridge Farm Shop and Pick Your Own - asparagus, beans, broad beans, carrots, Christmas trees, corn (sweet), currants (red and black), gooseberries, other berries, peas, pumpkins, Raspberries, rhubarb, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables
New Haw Road, Addlestone, Nr. Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 2BU. Phone: 01932 853 886 . Email: general@crockfordbridgefarm.co.uk. Open: Our hours are Monday 9.00 am to 5.30 Tuesday 9.00 am to 5.30 Wednesday 9.00 am to 5.30 Thursday 9.00 am to 6.00 Friday 9.00 am to 6.00 Saturday 9.00 am to 6.00 Sunday 10.00 am to 5.00. Directions: Grid ref: TQ055638. From the A3: Exit the A3 at the Cobham (Painshill) junction and take the A245 towards Byfleet. You will soon come to traffic lights, which you cross staying on the A245. Go straight across the first roundabout (don't head towards Weybridge on Brooklands Rd). When you come to the 2nd roundabout you turn right into Sopwith Drive heading towards the Brooklands Shopping Centre. At the 3rd roundabout turn left and go past M&S and Tesco. Go straight across the 4th roundabout towards Addlestone & Chertsey on the A318. Continue on A318 and you will see the signs for the farm on your right. Directions From Woking & M25 Exit M25 at junction 11, take the A317 towards Chertsey. Take the 3rd exit at the next roundabout, down the A318. Cross 2 sets of traffic lights and look for the signs for the farm on your left (shortly after Lance Owen Vauxhall garage). We’re expecting our asparagus to be ready from April, please keep checking our Facebook page for updates.
Typical Harvest dates:
(Weather and other conditions affect many crops, so be sure to call before you come to confirm that they'll have what you want!
Rhubarb April May June July
Asparagus April May June
Strawberries June July August September
Gooseberries June July
Redcurrants June July
Blackcurrants June July
Raspberries June July August September
Spinach June July August
Mangetout June July
Carrots June July August
Broad Beans June July
Courgettes June July Peas June July
Marrows July August
Tomatoes July August
French Beans July August
Runner Beans July August
Sweetcorn August September
Squashes August September
Pumpkins August September October
Christmas Trees Nov Dec
Other crops are Spinach, Mangetout, Courgettes, Marrows, French Beans, Runner Beans
(UPDATED: 20 October 2020 JBS) - Flower Farm PYO
- strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries, cherries, plums, asparagus, runner beans,
rhubarb, pumpkins and sweet corn
Oxted Road A25, Godstone, Surrey RH9 8DE. Phone: 01883 742288. Email: info@flowerfarmshop.co.uk. Open: daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: 0.5 miles south of J6/M25, situated on A25 0.5 miles east of Godstone 25 acres of PYO. Flower Farm has offered pick your own crops since 1975 and grows a wide range of crops including. The season for English strawberries now extends from mid June until the beginning of August by making use of many different varieties. PYO season: Rhubarb from April to September; Asparagus in May; Strawberries from June to August; Raspberries from June to August; Blackberries from June to August; Runner Beans in September; Corn on the cob in September; Victoria Plums from September to October. The season for English strawberries now extends from mid June until the beginning of August by making use of many different varieties. Flower Farm has offered pick your own crops since 1975 and grows a wide range of crops including strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries, plums, asparagus, runner beans, rhubarb and sweet corn. How does the fruit picking work? When you come to the farm, simply enter the shop and inform our team that you would like to go picking, you will then be handed a punnet to place your fruit into, then return to the shop after you have been picking to pay for your produce it’s as simple as that! Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)
A visitor writes on June 21, 2009: "I Picked strawberries today that were very nice. Good, well-stocked farm shop with butcher too. " -
Garson
Farm
- Huge selection
of fruit and vegetables for PYO, Blackberries, raspberries,
West End Lane, Esher, Surrey. Phone: 01372 464389. Alternate Phone: 01372 464778. Email: pyo@garsons.co.uk. Open: June until October; BOOK your Farm Pass today by clicking HERE. The largest ´pick your own´ farm in the UK, which also has an extensive shop/grocery store and a plant centre (nursery) . Easy to reach from the A3 and M25. As well as having the largest and most comprehensive Pick Your Own Farm in the UK, Garsons has a modern Garden Centre with Restaurant and a Farm Shop selling local and speciality foods. Garsons Pick Your Own farm grow 28 crops totaling 76 varieties - ensuring the picking season lasts from June until October. Take your pick from perfectly ripe soft fruits including strawberries and Raspberries, fresh vegetables such as courgettes and peas and even beautiful seasonal sunflowers. All crops are easily accessible by car, and there is plenty of free parking on site, so enjoy a great day out in the fresh air with the family. For a full list of our crops and varieties see our Crops & Calendar, and view our Map and Crop Availability to see what's currently picking. We have taken the decision this year to introduce a minimum spend of £4 per adult for our pick-your-own fields, this is the equivalent of around 800g of Strawberries for example.
Rhubarb April - September;
Asparagus (ready picked) May;
Strawberries June - July;
Raspberries July - August;
Blackberries July - August;
Victoria Plums July - August:
Corn on the cob August - September;
Runner Beans September.
(UPDATED: 20 October 2020 JBS)
Notes: I used to live just down the street (West End Lane). This is one I used to visit quite often! Blake -
Secretts Farm - asparagus, beetroot, blackberries, broad beans,
carrots, corn (sweet), courgettes, currants (red and black), flowers,
gooseberries, green beans, Loganberries, other berries, peas, plums,
pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red),rhubarb,
strawberries, other vegetables, gift shop, concessions / refreshment stand,
restrooms, picnic area (bring your own food)
Chapel Lane, Milford, GU8 5HU. Phone: 01483 520500. Email: greg@secretts.co.uk. Open: Always call before you come to check availability; May to September for the summer season from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Our on site cafe is also open selling hot and cold drinks, light meals and ‘pick n mix’ kids lunchboxes. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. Our farm shop has won the Muddy Surrey award for best farm shop 4 yrs in a row. Our 150 acre farm was established in 1938 and is still producing a wide range of heritage vegetables such as carrots and beetroot. Known as top growers of vegetables and salad crops in the county, we are also suppliers of award winning fresh produce to top restaurants in the South East of England. Recently we have added a craft beer collection featuring Surrey based and National craft breweries. It’s the biggest and best craft beer collection in Surrey with over 100 beers from 35 breweries. Our craft gin collection is also a big hit. In addition our onsite Butchers, Tea Room, English Wine Merchant and Ethical Clothing and Gift Shop make Secretts a perfect lifestyle destination. Our extensive grounds are also perfect for summer picnics and leisurely strolls. Free car parking is available on site at the farm shop and pick your own. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS) (ADDED: August 2, 2008).
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:
- 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!
-
Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
-
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. - 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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. .
- 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!
- 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
-
DON'T
wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling. - Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
- 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)!
- 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
- How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
- How to make Blackberry jelly
- How to freeze berries
- Blackberry syrup, make and can it!
- Seedless blackberry pie!
- 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!