- Play Hard
- 31st Jul 2026
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Here’s where to pick your own fruit and flowers in Northumberland and North Yorkshire
Pick your own fruit is back across Northumberland and North Yorkshire, and this year’s fields are more colourful than ever.
From strawberry tunnels grown on raised tabletops to meadows thick with poppies and cornflowers, there’s a basket-worthy day out wherever you’re heading this summer.
Whether you fancy a try at strawberry picking near Newcastle, wandering through wildflowers with secateurs in hand, or cutting your own bunch of sunflowers before the light fades, the region’s farms have thrown their gates open for 2026.
We’ve rounded up well-loved spots (and a few new ones) for fruit, wildflowers and sunflowers, with prices, dates and dog policies so you can plan your visit properly.
We’ll keep this guide updated through the season, so check back for the latest picking windows and get in touch if there’s a farm you think we should feature.
WHERE TO PICK YOUR OWN FRUIT IN NORTHUMBERLAND AND YORKSHIRE
Brocksbushes, Northumberland
Address: Brocksbushes Farm Shop, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7UB
Dates: Open now for the 2026 season
Dog friendly: No (with some exceptions)
Cost: Priced per weight picked
Just off the A69 in the Tyne Valley, Brocksbushes has planted over 125,000 strawberry plants for 2026, most grown on raised tabletops for easy picking, with a new toddler-height section for little hands. Redcurrants are ready alongside the strawberries now, with raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, plums and pumpkins following through summer.
Tickets are released regularly based on how the crop’s coming along. Make sure to visit the farm shop, café and Play Barn on site that the little ones will love. Dogs aren’t allowed in the shop or picking fields, though there’s a dog-friendly outdoor dining spot and a grassy car park for a leg stretch.
HIGH LIFE NORTH’S TOP TIP: Get 15% off Play Barn tickets when purchasing alongside Pick Your Own.
Spilmans Strawberries, Thirsk
Address: Church Farm, Sessay, Thirsk, YO7 3NB
Dates: Daily until Sunday 9th August, then Wednesday to Friday
Dog friendly: No (strict no-dogs policy this season, guide dogs accepted)
Cost: £2.50 entry per person (£2pp on a family ticket), refunded if you spend £6pp on fruit
This family-run farm near Thirsk has grown into a proper day out, with sun-ripened strawberries and raspberries sitting alongside a maize maze and a wildflower meadow on one ticket.
Timed booking’s recommended, and the on-site café serves pizzas, sandwiches and cakes for refuelling once the picking’s done.
Kemps Farm, North Yorkshire
Address: Barton-le-Street, near Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 6PP
Dates: Strawberries mid-June to late August; raspberries into late August
Dog friendly: Yes (with restrictions)
Cost: £7.25 per kg for strawberries
Kemps has been growing fruit near Malton since 1984, with strawberries on raised tabletops, followed by raspberries as summer rolls on. Sunflowers are on offer here too, and a small pop-up shop sells drinks and snacks while cattle and turkeys graze in the fields next door.
Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome around the farm, though they’ll need to sit this one out when it comes to the picking tunnels.
WHERE TO PICK YOUR OWN WILDFLOWERS THIS SUMMER
Wildflowers at Vallum Farm
Address: Vallum Farm, Military Road, East Wallhouses, NE18 0LL
Dates: Saturday 1st to Sunday 2nd August, and Saturday 8th to Sunday 9th August, 10am to 4pm
Dog friendly: Partial (on leads on site, not in the flower field)
Cost: Free admission (booking required); £6 per jar
Better known for its farm shop, bakery and brewery, Vallum Farm is trying wildflower picking for the first time in 2026. Visitors wander a meadow of poppies, cornflowers and daisies before their bunch is wrapped up.
Admission’s free but booking’s required, and there’s coffee, pizza and cocktails (from 8th August) on site if you fancy making a proper afternoon of it. Dogs on leads are welcome around the farm, just not in the flower field itself.
Fieldhead Farm
Address: Near Morpeth, NE65 8TG
Dates: Saturday 18th July until September, 10am to 6pm
Dog friendly: Yes (on leads)
Cost: Free entry, pay per flower (jam jar or bucket)
This relaxed wildflower meadow near Morpeth lets you choose a jam jar or a large bucket, pick your own bouquet and have it wrapped to take home. Entry and parking are both free, and there are wood-fired pizzas, hot and cold drinks from the bar, and traybakes to enjoy while you’re there.
Spilmans Wildflowers
Address: Church Farm, Sessay, Thirsk YO7 3NB
Dates: Daily until Sunday 9th August, then Wednesday to Friday
Dog friendly: No (guide dogs excepted)
Cost: Free to enter with a strawberry-picking ticket
Five acres of native cornflowers bloom right alongside Spilmans’ strawberry fields, and they’re included free with a standard picking ticket. It’s an easy add-on if you’re already heading there for the fruit, with no extra cost involved.
Mallard Grange Farm Wildflowers
Address: Aldfield, near Fountains Abbey, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 3BE
Dates: From Saturday 4th July until September (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Dog friendly: Partial (on leads on site and grassed areas, not among the flowers)
Cost: £8 per jar, £15 small bucket, £30 large bucket
A working regenerative farm near Fountains Abbey, Mallard Grange has diversified into flowers, growing 33 wildflower varieties across its Flower Field. With free parking and hot drinks, snacks and homemade sweet treats served from a converted horse trailer.
The Flower Belt Wildflowers
Address: The Flower Belt, Helmsley, YO62 5EE
Dates: Saturday 18th July until September
Dog friendly: Yes (on leads, including in the fields)
Cost: £7 jam jar, £15 vase
Run by a third-generation farming family, this Helmsley meadow of poppies, cornflowers and cosmos supports its own bees and honey production. Flowers are wrapped at the Silo Shop and stop off at The Honey Tap café overlooking the North York Moors close by.
WHERE TO PICK YOUR OWN SUNFLOWERS BEFORE SUMMER ENDS
Margot’s Sunflowers
Address: Winley Hill Farm, Great Ayton, TS9 6QA
Dates: Friday 31st July to approximately Sunday 16th August
Dog friendly: Yes (on leads)
Cost: £1 per stem, or 6 for £5
This pop-up sunflower field near Great Ayton has built a proper following, with thousands tracking its Facebook page for bloom updates before they head out. No booking needed and secateurs provided on arrival.
Plus, gift vouchers are available if you’re after a present with a bit of sunshine in it.
Mallard Grange Farm Sunflowers
Address: Aldfield, near Fountains Abbey, Ripon, HG4 3BE
Dates: From Saturday 4th July until September
Dog friendly: Partial (on leads on site, not among the flowers)
Cost: £1 per stem or pick 5 get 1 free
Alongside its wildflower field, Mallard Grange grows multi-coloured sunflowers in shades running from bright yellow to burnt orange and deep red. Stems are £1 each, or pick five and get one free, making it good value for a bigger bunch.
The Flower Belt Sunflowers
Address: The Flower Belt, Helmsley, YO62 5EE
Dates: Late summer, dates weather-dependent
Dog friendly: Yes (on leads)
Cost: £2 each or £5 for 7 stems
The final act of The Flower Belt’s growing season, following on from spring tulips and summer wildflowers, sees golden sunflower rows ready to cut before the pumpkin patch takes over in autumn.
Kemps Farm Sunflowers
Address: Barton-le-Street, near Malton, YO17 6PP
Dates: Mid-June – August
Dog friendly: Partial (on leads around the farm, not in the picking tunnels or fields)
Cost: £1.25 per stem
An easy add-on to a fruit-picking trip at Kemps, sunflowers here are priced per stem. It’s the same working farm that’s kept local families coming back since the 1980s, so it’s worth combining with a punnet of strawberries or raspberries.
Spilmans Sunflowers
Address: Church Farm, Sessay, Thirsk, YO7 3NB
Dates: August
Dog friendly: No (guide dogs excepted)
Cost: TBC (check website for updates)
Rounding off Spilmans’ picking calendar, the sunflower field blooms in August once the strawberry and wildflower seasons have wound down, giving visitors a reason to head back later in the summer. Check the website for current stem pricing nearer the time.
East Grange Sunflowers
Address: East Grange Farm, High Shincliffe, Durham, DH1 2TB
Dates: August
Dog friendly: No
Cost: TBC (check their website for updates)
We’ve just seen on socials that East Grange has announced their sunflower trail will return in the next couple of weeks. These blooms can’t be picked, but with a display this stunning, it’s a must-visit.
Whichever field you end up in this summer, don’t forget a basket, some sun cream and a bit of patience for the crowds on a sunny weekend.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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