During June to September, Cotswold villages are rife with fruit – making it the best time to visit fruit farms and do some fruit picking in the Cotswolds! There is no fresher fruit than ones picked straight from the source, and you certainly won’t be starved for choice. It’s a great day out for a romantic date, or fun for the whole family to enjoy; the kids will have a ball! Many fruit farms have lovely farm shops, farmers markets, cafes, and often play areas and petting zoos for additional entertainment. So, without further ado; where are the best Cotswold fruit picking spots found? Here are some of our tried and tested destinations.
Primrose Vale Farm, Shurdington, Cheltenham
Primrose Vale Farm is a wonderful place to spend time in the fresh air. With fruit picking from late May until October they have 15 different fruit types to pick, with the most popular being strawberries. They often have smaller themed events on for the children like Halloween pumpkin trails which are really popular and great fun. They also have an old school play area with sand, swings, slides, and an old tractor that the little ones love to climb on. There are rabbits to say hello to, an outdoor café, and a lovely farm shop to complement your fresh produce.
Hayles Fruit Farm, Winchcombe, Cheltenham
Hayles Fruit Farm covers 100 acres of gorgeous Cotswold countryside on the outskirts of the picture-perfect little Cotswold town of Winchcombe. With a great choice of fruits to select from you can pick to your heart’s content. They have a great farm shop, a cafe for a bite to eat, a walking trail and clay pigeon shooting on site too.
Several of our tours visit Cheltenham, making a visit to Hales Fruit Farm or Primrose Vale Farm for fruit picking an easy addition to your Cotswolds holiday, inncluding:
- The South Cotswold Ring Walking Tour
- The Grand Tour of the Cotswolds on Foot
- The Cotswold Circle Walking Tour
- The Guided Cotswold Walking Tour
Over Farm, Gloucester
Over Farm is just on the edge of Gloucester but a world away from the city. Come along to pick the current fresh produce including strawberries, sweetcorn, calabrese, marrows, courgettes, and beetroot. There are lots of things to keep you entertained aside from the fruit picking; those on the hunt for more adrenaline can try a flight on the microlight, while those down below can pick their own pumpkins in the themed fields. Plenty to keep you busy at this little hidden gem – be sure not to miss it during fruit picking season!
Clive’s Fruit Farm, Upton-Upon-Severn
Pack in your pooch and let’s go fruit picking at Clive’s Fruit Farm! Pick your own apples, pears, plums and cherries and enjoy eating them after a hearty pie from the farm shop. Currently, you’ll find apples and plums in season to pick. Visit the juice shop where the family makes their own fruit juices and cider. Be sure to go and meet the pigs, play in the children’s park, or put on your hiking boots to take on the nature trail.
Rectory Farm, Stanton St John, Oxford
With raspberries, strawberries and redcurrants, carrots, and mini beetroot available to pick in their 45 acres of fields, you’ll find lots of fabulous fruit-picking opportunities at Rectory Farm, along with loads of other things going on. There’s a lovely cafe called The Tractor Shack, with outdoor seating for this balmy summer weather we are experiencing and a farm shop jam-packed with produce.
Whether you’re after the simple joy of picking sun-ripened strawberries, sampling fresh juices, or watching the kids play while you sip coffee at a farm café, fruit picking in the Cotswolds offers a slice of rural life that’s both rewarding and memorable. If you’re planning a summer escape to the region, adding a fruit-picking stop to your itinerary is a perfect way to taste the Cotswolds at its freshest.