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A great day out for us last summer was fruit picking and it's fun for the whole family. We don't have many farms that you can pick your own near Southend unfortunately, but we've pulled together the closest. Always check before travelling what and if/what fruit is available, depending on how much has been picked the day before. Most PYO farms require you to book before visiting.
🍓 Hilltop Farm - Benfleet, SS7 1PH (Approximately 15 - 20 minutes from Southend)
Our closest PYO farm with a selection of fruits to pick including Gooseberries, Raspberries, Tayberries and Cherries. More fruits to follow but there will be no strawberries this year. It is pretty basic when there, with no other facilities but if you don't want to travel, it's the closest you're going to find. You also don't need to book, so you can turn up any time. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays. 11-3pm. They are CASH ONLY so do plan ahead for money at least!
🍓 Lathcoats Farm - Great Baddow, Chelmsford. CM2 8LX (approximately 30 minutes from Southend)
Lathcoats have a huge selection of fruit to pick throughout the year but you do need to book ahead to find out what is available. They have strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, currants, temmelberries and more! They have a great selection of fruit to pick at various times. You'll find strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, tummelberries, currants and more. Paying customers also have access to a small farm area and children's play area with ride-on tractors. The Bee Shed Coffee House and shop are open for customers with indoors and outdoor seating available from Monday - Saturdays.
🍓 Little Mountains Farm (approximately 45-50 minutes from Southend)
Little Mountains is a working farm based in Maldon. You can pick strawberries, raspberries and blackberries throughout June and July.
🍓 Cammas Hall Farm - Hatfield Broad Oak. CM22 7JT (approximately 50 minutes from Southend)
Cammas Hall is a great place for fruit-picking with strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, sweetcorn, cherries and pumpkins for PYO. As well as fruit picking they have a children's play area with a sandpit, tyre mountain and giant slide. The maize maze is open from August to October and they hold various events throughout the summer such as pop up play villages, painting, animal encounters, princess and pirate workshops and more. The tea barn is open for breakfast, lunch and light refreshments including homemade cakes and sausage rolls and cream tea. There is a covered seating and picnic area and a nature trail open daily. Booking is essential
🍓 Foxes Farm Produce - Colchester. CO6 3PR (approximately 1 hour from Southend)
Opening end of July, Foxes Farm have PYO Sunflowers and PYO Corn Maize trail. Tickets are £7pp to enter of £25 for 4 people. Sunflowers are £1 per picked head and any corn you pick through the maze is FREE to take home. As well as PYO, they have a field of fun with hula hoops, sack racing, welly wangling, giant sandpit, throwing games and farm obstacles. There are light refreshments and ice-creams available from The Fox Box Cafe with picnic areas provided.
🍓 McLauchlans of Boxted - Boxted Berries - CO4 5RB (approximately 1 hour from Southend)
The farm will be open from June for all kinds of fruit including strawberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, sweetcorn and broad beans. Check the website before arriving to see what fruit is available. They also have a farm shop selling local produce.
Is fruit picking on your list this summer? If you go somewhere new, tell us about it here
