Plum U-Pick Orchards in Berkshire, Bucks and Oxfordshire in 2024, by county
Below are the PYO orchards and farms for plums that we know of in this area. Not all areas have plums 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.
Berkshire
-
Copas Farms Pick Your Own, Lower Mount Farm - asparagus,
beetroot, broad beans, cherries, corn (sweet), courgettes, currants (red and
black), green beans, peas, plums, raspberries (red), rhubarb, summer squash,
strawberries, U-pick and already picked, restrooms
Long Lane, Cookham, SL6 9EE. Phone: 01628 529511. Email: copasfarms@copasfarms.co.uk. or fruit@copasfarms.co.uk. Open: every day except Mondays from 10 am till 5 pm; Last entry 1 hour before closing time. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Lower Mount Farm is located on the outskirts of Cookham, on the B4447 Cookham to Maidenhead Road. Our signs from the junction with Long Lane will lead you up to the picking fields. Click here for a map and directions. A wide range of fruit and vegetables are grown, the season beginning with asparagus in late April/early May and finishing with sweetcorn in September. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard.
Copas Farms' Pick Your Own Farms offer a wide range of high quality seasonal fruit and vegetables. Before you set out for it is advisable to telephone the 24-Hour in-season Message Line (outgoing message only) Tel: (01628) 529511. The Message Line will give up-to-date information, taking into account any variants on the standard Opening Times due to weather etc.
Last entry for picking is ONE HOUR before closing. A minimum charge of £3 per person is made to enter the PYO fields. This is only refundable off produce you pick yourself. (UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS) (UPDATED: July 31, 2015)
Buckinghamshire (Bucks)
- Calves
Lane Farm (Iver), (aka Copas Farms)- Apples, asparagus, beans, beets, blackberries,
broad beans, Christmas trees, cherries, corn (sweet), currants (red and black),
gooseberries, peas, plums, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, other
vegetables
Billet Lane, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SL0 0LU. Phone: 01753 652727.Email: copasfarms@copasfarms.co.uk. or fruit@copasfarms.co.uk. Copas Farms operates two Pick Your Own farms which collectively extend to 83 acres. Directions: One is located on the outskirts of Cookham in Berkshire and the other at Iver, near Slough in Buckinghamshire. Directions to Calves lane farm Iver. Open: A wide range of fruit and vegetables are grown, the season beginning with asparagus in late April/early May and finishing with apples in September. Before you set out for it is advisable to telephone the 24-Hour in-season Message Line (outgoing message only) Tel: (01753) 652727. The Message Line will give up-to-date information, taking into account any variants on the standard Opening Times due to weather etc. Last entry for picking is ONE HOUR before closing. A minimum charge of £2 for Adults and £1 for Children(depending on availability of crops) is made to enter the PYO fields. This is only refundable off produce you pick yourself. School visits by appointment welcomed.
-
Home Cottage Farm Shop - apples, pears, plums,
raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, honey
Bangors Road South, Iver, SL0 0BB. Telephone: 01753 653064. Email: phinde@homecottagefarm.co.uk. Open: Always call or check their website before you go; Opening hours are for June, July, August, September: Tuesday and Thursday 2pm-5pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am-5p, From late September 7 days a week 11am-5pm or dusk if earlier; Apple Day this year will be on Saturday 17 October; keep the date free for all the family and help us celebrate the apple harvest! July/August for plums, raspberries and apples. . We look forward to seeing you in the Summer. Good range of less common varieties of apples. Apples are sold from the Farm Shop loose or in prepared 5kg bags. plums can also be picked and sold to order. We grow everything we sell. Come and pick your own tasty raspberries, plums, damsons and blackberries in September and October together with most of our 18 apple and pear varieties. Our Farm Shop sells apples until the crop is sold out (usually December). Honey is extracted from our own bees, which help pollinate our fruit. We have our own free range guinea fowl, chickens and sheep which visitors will usually see around the farm. Our web site gives you details on what we sell, where we are and when you can pick or buy our produce. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 9, 2015, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website) -
Peterley Manor Farm - PYO Apples, plums, cherries,
blackberries, red and blackcurrants, raspberries, strawberries, Tayberries,
gooseberries, beetroot, broad beans, French beans, mange-tout, peas, runner
beans, spinach
Peterley Lane, Prestwood, Great Missenden. Phone: 01494 863566. Email: hello@peterleymanorfarm.co.uk. Open: Click here for our harvest calendar. Directions: A4128 High Wycombe/Grt Missenden Road; turn right before Prestwood signed Little Missenden/Amersham. Family run farm shop & PYO. Xmas trees grown on the farm. The farm shop has orchard fruits, soft fruits, vegetables, free range eggs, preserves, honey, pure fruit juices. Facilities: Ample parking, picnic area, plants and shrubs for sale. Our location in the commuter belt and close proximity to Great Missenden train station, sees even Londoners venturing out at the weekend for a taste of the countryside. We began with strawberries, raspberries and broad beans and have gradually added to the range available to now include gooseberries, currants and tree fruits including plums and apples; vegetables such as runner beans, peas, beetroot and carrots, and the most recent additions include blueberries and cobnuts. Traditional methods of farming are still used including organic fertilisers and hand planting. The Pick Your Own starts in mid June with strawberries and gooseberries and runs right through to the end of October with autumn raspberries and various vegetables. Please see our seasonal calendar for information about specific crop availability. Pick Your Own was the original feature of the farm and we now grow over 20 acres of crops specifically for PYO, ranging from strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries to plums and blueberries. Here are the typical dates of availability (always call or see our website first) Click here for a link to our Facebook page.
Apples in September
Blackberries in July
Blackcurrants in June - July
Broad Beans in July
Gooseberries in June - August
plums in July - August
Raspberries in July
Redcurrants in June - July
Strawberries in June - August
(UPDATED: 20 October 2020 JBS)
Oxfordshire
- Banbury Self Pick
- Many vegetables, Gooseberries, Red Currants, black currants, Dessert
Gooseberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Tayberries, Loganberries,
Blackberries, Autumn Raspberries, Cooking Apples, Eating Apples, plums,
Rhubarb
Broughton Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 9UL. Phone: 01295 261406. Directions: we are located on the b4035 Shipston-on-stour road 1mile1/4 from Banbury cross. We also stock a range of jams ,local honey and preserves. During the winter we supply coal ,bags as well as loads of logs and boxes of kindling. As we grow most of the fruit and veg we sell, we are very seasonal and our product range changes all through out the year. So its worth while using our contact us and pyo fruit pages to find out whats on offer at different times of year. Gooseberries June- July, Red Currants June-July, black currants July- August, Dessert Gooseberries July-August, Strawberries June-august, Raspberries July-August, Tayberries July-August, Loganberries July-August, Blackberries September-October, Autumn Raspberries August-October, Cooking Apples July-September, Eating Apples September-October, plums August-September, Rhubarb May-July. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website) - Millets
Farm
- Apples, plums, blackberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants,
raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, Tayberries,
loganberries, broad beans, courgettes, French beans, runner beans, spinach,
mange-tout, peas
Kingston Road, Frilford, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5HB. Phone: 01865 391555. Email: enquiries@milletsfarmcentre.com. Open: May to October; The Pick Your Own fields are open daily from 9 am to 6 pm with last entry at 5pm. Millets Farm has over 50 acres of crops exclusively for Pick Your Own (PYO). A choice of over 30 different fruits and vegetables can be picked including strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, redcurrants, gooseberries, courgettes, apples, broad beans, sweetcorn and much much more. Many new varieties of certain crops mean that they are available for a greatly extended season. Pick your own, meet farmyard animals, buy plants and have a go at the jungle maze. A large proportion of our soft fruits are in poly-tunnels so great to pick whatever the weather.Entrance to the PYO fields is £2 per person redeemable against any fruit purchased. Please call for all up to date information and crop availability.(UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS)
NOTE: I've visited this farm several times, and found them to be well-organised, neat, and clean! They also have a very extensive garden centre. Blake. -
Q Gardens - blackberries, cherries, currants (red and black),
gooseberries, other berries, plums, raspberries (red), strawberries, Other
fruit or veg,
Milton Hill Steventon, Abingdon, OX13 6AB. Phone: 01235 820988. Fax: 01235 820988. Email: info@qgardensfarmshop.co.uk. Open: Farm shop open seven days a week, 9am to 6pm, (5pm on winter weekends). Directions: Click here for a map and directions.We are on the A4130 between the Milton Interchange of the A34 and the Rowstock Roundabout. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Visa/MasterCard. All the produce is available ready-picked in our farm shop; we also attend a number of local farmers markets. If you require a specific product please phone in advance for availability. Farm shop has a new deli selling cheeses, pies, sausage rolls etc. Home of the Harwell cherry. (strawberries, Raspberries + Blackberries + Cherries + plums + Damsons + Greengages. Our PYO season gets up and running with strawberries, then the cherries. Here's our guide bout what is in season when. ‘Picking your own’ is a great experience - you may be having a party and want to serve fresh strawberries for the dessert, you may want a quantity of raspberries for jam-making or simply want to enjoy spending some time in the cherry orchard picking a rare treat - the Harwell cherry. It’s a particularly popular activity for children - so many of whom don’t know where their food comes from - this is a great way of letting them know!
(UPDATED: 31 August 2020 JBS) (ADDED: July 09, 2009) - The
Old Farm Shop - PYO: Blackberries, black/redcurrants,
gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, tayberries, broad beans, cabbage,
cauliflower, marrow, peas, pumpkins, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn,
asparagus
Milton Hill, Harwell, Abingdon. Phone: 01235 831247. Email: theoldfarmshop@aol.com. Open: MONDAY to SATURDAY 8.30am - 6pm; SUNDAY 8.30am - 5.30pm; OPEN BANK HOLIDAYS. We are a family-run business, producing good quality fruit & vegetables, excellent free-range eggs and great meat. We opened our shop in 1 January 2000 and have grown each year. Our season start with asparagus in April/May. We grow root and topsoil vegetables with a variety of salad. Vegetables include; beetroot, carrots, potatoes (early and maincrop), cauliflowers, cabbage, marrows and pumpkins. We grow soft fruit with a PYO site and these include, strawberries, raspberries, red, white and blackcurrants, tayberries, jostenberrys, blackberries and green and red gooseberries. We also grow our own apple, pears, plums, greengages damsons & apricots. In our shop we sell all our produce including homemade cakes with our free range eggs all made daily, jams, chutneys and pickles all made by us with our own produce. We lamb in April - keep and eye on our website, so you can some along and see the lambs, and maybe have a cuddle. You can feed the chickens any time of the year, we sell food in the shop for them. Bring the family along to visit a variety of farmyard animals. Christmas is a busy time of year, so why not take some of the stress away by ordering mince pies, sausage rolls and award-winning pickled onions and shallots, your turkey, beef and all your fruit and vegetables. And just to let you know about our free-range eggs, come along and see the chickens freely wandering around, and then purchase some award-winning eggs with a taste that will make you want to return for more. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
Plum, Damson and Gage Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
In the U.K., Plums Damsons and Gages typically peak during July for Sugar Plums; August for Blue, Yellow and Red Plums. In order to produce good local plums, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts. If you are looking for a plum festival, see this page.
Before you leave to go to the farm:
- Always call before you go to the farm - Plums are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. 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!
-
Some growers furnish picking containers designed for plums, 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 Plums more than 14 inches deep will bruise the fruit on the bottom. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good 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.
- You might want to ask whether the plums are! There are two major types of plums: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone plums have flesh that slips easily away from the pit. Clingstones are a REAL pain, because the fruit tenaciously clings to the stone or pit! Most plum varieties grown today are freestone and are usually available (depending upon your location) from June through September. Some nectarines are freestone and some are clingstone. Freestone nectarines are available in June and July. Most plum varieties are clingstone.
Tips on How to Pick Plums
A plum is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a plum gently, with little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to avoid bruising. Grab the plum firmly and pull it straight off the branch. DON'T drop the plum into the basket, but set it in gently!
Picking Tips:
How to tell if the plums are ripe!
- Attached to the tree: Plums are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Plums will not ripen further once removed from the tree (they only "soften")
- Color: Green is definitely unripe, but you can't use red color as an indicator of how ripe a plum is. Different plum varieties have differing colours, darker is usually better in any variety. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red or even blue or purple (or a combination).
- Softness: unless you like your plums very firm, pick your plums with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Plums at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Plums won't ripen very much after picking!
- Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!
- Larger plums are riper.
- Sugar plums grow in clusters, so carefully select the plum you want out of the cluster.
- Place them gently in a shallow wide container, no more than 8-inches deep, to avoid crushing the fruit.
Marks on the Plums: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs)
bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the
plum. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit. These
look like dents in the plums if the plums were bitten by a bug when they
were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle
in the plum. There's nothing wrong with these plums. They may look funny, but
they will taste just as good as blemish-free plums, and it's better not to
have the pesticides!
When you get home
- Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
- Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
- Even under ideal conditions plums will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
Make preserves, can or freeze!
Easy directions, step by step, with photos
- plum jam
- plum jelly
- canned plums
- freeze plums
- canned plum pie filling to use in the winter
- plum pie recipe
- plum-blueberry pie
- plum salsa
- Plum chutney
- Spiced plums
- Plum butter
- Pickled plums
- Here are some great and easy plum desert recipes, like easy plum cobbler..
Plum dessert recipes
- Plum Cobbler
This recipe is easy and DELICIOUS!!! - Plum Torte
- Italian Prune Plums (Empress Plums)
How much do you need?
Raw measures:
- About 2 medium plums = 1/2 cup sliced plums.
- About 4 medium plums = 1 /2cup pureed plum.
- About 3 medium plums = 1 /2 pound of plums
Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)
- 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh plums yields 1 quart canned
- 1 lb of fresh plums typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced plums or 2 cups or puree.
- It takes about 10 plums to fill one quart jar of canned plums.
- An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh plums are needed per canner load of 7 quarts;
- An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.
- 1 bushel = 48 to 50 pounds, yields approximately 18 to 25 quart jars.
Plums-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent
Plum pit tips
It's best to remove plum pits before you cook the plums. Cherry, plum, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, plum and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug Laetrile is a semisynthetic derivative of amygdalin; a cheaper version of laetrile produced in Mexico came from crushed apricot pits.) See this page for more information.
Nutritional Information
- plums are virtually fat free. A medium size plum contains less than one gram of fat.
- plums are naturally sodium free.
- plums have no cholesterol.
- plums are a low calorie snack. A medium size plum contains only 40 calories.
- plums contain vitamin A which helps us see in dim light.
- plums are considered a good source of fiber. The skin of a plum provides both roughage and fiber.
Temporary Storage Tips
- Ripe plums have a creamy or golden undertone and "plumy-sweet" fragrance.
- Plums should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
- Putting plums in a loosely closed paper bag at room temperature for a day or two can help soften firm fruit - but they won't become sweeter or ripen further - that stopped when they were removed from th etree.
- For best flavor, allow the fruit to ripen fully on the tree.
- Store at 33 F to 40 F and high humidity (a vegetable drawer in the fridge).
Click here for farmshops in this area