Yorkshire's largest lavender farm to open for just two days this season

Yet despite the crop blooming as normal this summer, Yorkshire Lavender will not be opening to the public.

The owners of the 60-acre lavender farm at Terrington. in the Howardian Hills, announced back in March that they were unlikely to open again until 2021.

With peak lavender season now in full swing, the Goodwill family have decided to open the site's plant nursery on two days in July to allow visitors to buy samples for their own gardens.

The two 'open Saturdays' will be July 11 and 18 from 10am-4pm, but visitors will not be able to tour the fields or access the tearoom, gift shop or maze.

Nigel Goodwill and his children Sam and Emma have also been running a click and collect service at the plant nursery for local customers, as well as their popular online store.

Lavender is in flower from May until September - the farm grows hundreds of varieties - but July and August are the best months to see the crop. The farm usually opens in March for the season.

In a statement, Nigel Goodwill said: "Together as a family, Sam, Emma and I have made the decision not to open this year.

"We have not taken this decision lightly and understand that some of our customers will be disappointed, but we hope you understand why we have come to this decision.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their continued support and look forward to seeing you all in March next year (touch wood!)."

The increasing popularity of lavender farms with tourists - many of them visitors from overseas - has been attributed in part to the plant's 'Instagrammable' aesthetic appeal.

Nigel bought the farm in 1994, after the death of his wife Lynne from breast cancer when Sam and Emma were just five and three. He had previously worked in property, but thought the land would be an investment for his children. After considering other crops, including garlic, he settled on lavender - despite its associations with the south of France, the plant is surprisingly hardy and can survive the winter frosts in the Howardian Hills.