Fields of Gold at Crummock Bank Farm
FIELDS OF GOLD
Every summer for the last four years, Crummock Bank Farm has become aglow with a yellow hue emanating from their 4 and a half acres of beautiful, tall sunflowers.
by Danni Murphy
The sunflower field is truly something to behold. There’s something special about looking out across a field into a sea of sunflowers spanning the horizon.
The sunflower fields can be found at Crummock Bank Farm, near Wigton, which is a working dairy farm owned and operated by Neil Young, known to many as the Simple Farmer.
A plant that has the power to make anyone smile and is a symbol of happiness Neil started the field after his children suggested it as something to make their dad smile.
He said, “It was actually my kid’s idea. I have always wanted to have a sunflower field. After spending a lot of time in France, you’d pass acres and acres of fields just filled with sunflowers. It was always something I wanted. I was going through a difficult time, and my children suggested we plant some sunflowers as a way to bring me some joy. I imagined maybe 10 sunflowers; instead, I ended up with 10 kilos of seed, which we sowed, and it just went from there!”
The original sunflower field was at the back of the farm, but they moved it down closer to the farm when they decided they’d allow the public to come visit. During the short season, when the flowers are blooming, thousands descend upon the farm daily. Farmer Neil told us that last year, on the final day, there were over 7,000 visitors.
The wonderful thing about the Sunflower Field is that the farm doesn’t charge an entry fee; they simply ask for a donation, which a majority proportion of is donated to their chosen charity!
There are tea and coffee facilities on site, and the whole family is welcome, even well-behaved dogs. They just ask that you dispose of any dog muck in the bins provided.
Neil said, “The whole idea of starting this was to make people smile and bring some joy into the world after the way things had been since the pandemic. In the years since opening the field, I have met some truly amazing people, and we have people that come every single year; it’s become a tradition for some folk.”
The photo opportunities this field offers are magnificent, and photographers are encouraged to come and capture some special moments. With the Solway acting as a backdrop, the sunsets from these fields are out of this world.
If you are looking for something to do which is free, uplifting and joyful, then come along and make forever memories with your children, visit Crummock Bank Farm this summer between mid-July and early September—you won’t regret it and certainly won’t forget it…
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