Daily Info - Your Guide to Oxford, UK. Pick Your Own Farms

Pick-Your-Own and Farm Shops, Oxfordshire

Cross Lanes Fruit Farm, Mapledurham, Reading, RG4 7UW
Tel 0118 972 3167, apples@crosslanesfruitfarm.co.uk
Fantastic orchard of apples, pears and plums. Not a Pick Your Own but you can wander the orchards. Huge variety of apples, including rare varieties, grown by friendly and knowledgeable small-scale producers. The farm shop is open from mid-August: Wed - Sun 10am - 6pm, and they also have stalls at many Farmers' Markets, including Oxford (Gloucester Green). Website also contains thought-provoking and controversial articles about Organic certification and European agricultural policies.

Medley Manor Farm, Binsey Lane, Oxford
Tel 01865 241251
Pick Your Own and ready-picked produce. Asparagus available Tue / Thu / Sat from May, and strawberries start at the beginning of June, from which point they are open 7 days, 9.30am - 7pm. Also broad beans, spinach, beetroot, garlic, etc. A lovely walk from Jericho or Wolvercote (or a much shorter one from Botley) across Port Meadow.

Millets Farm Centre, Kingston Road, Frilford, Abingdon
Tel 01865 391266 Crop reports: 01865 391555
Large selection of fruit and vegetables plus dairy products, fish, patisserie, wine, meat, garden centre & restaurants, children's area etc. Farm shop open 7 days a week, 9am-6pm. PYO starts beginning June and will be 9am-5pm daily. Maize maze in July. Free tractor rides may be available on weekends in summer.

Peachcroft Farm, Radley, Abingdon
(leave A34 at first Abingdon North exit. Left to roundabout; left into 12 Acre Drive - farm is 400 yds on left). Tel 01235 520094
PYO: many kinds of berries (strawberries available from end May) and peas, also potatoes, asparagus, etc. Farm Shop has soft fruits, vegetables, cream, free-range eggs, free-range poultry, cakes, pies, preserves, fruit juices, and honey. Easy disabled access. Tractor rides, apparently. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Farm shop has these hours too, all year round.

Q Gardens, Milton Hill, Steventon, Abingdon (on A4130)
Tel 01235 820988
Farm shop (9am-6pm daily), tea room (9am-4pm daily), butchers (9-6 weekdays, 9-5 weekends). PYO & ready picked fruit. Asparagus from end April - end-June. Specialise in cherries (home of the Harwell cherry) and also strawberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, gooseberries, plums, damsons, greengages, apples & pears. The cherries are, rather appealingly, expected to be ready on the longest day of the year, 21st June.

Rectory Farm, Stanton St. John, Oxford
(From the A40 Headington roundabout take road to the North signed Stanton St. John 2m. Follow farm signs after 0.75m).
Tel 01865 351677 for crop availability reports or 07966 246388 for orders. Email Rectoryfarmpyo@farmline.com
Pick Your Own of the Year 2008!
PYO asparagus (separate site): end April to 20th June: Tues-Thurs, 2-6pm; Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat & Sun, 9.30am-1pm.
Main PYO and Farm Shop: 27 May to 31 August: every day, 9.30am-7pm. Café open till 6pm.
Mr Finn the Butcher: 27 May - 30 September: 9.30am - 6pm (Sun 9.30am - 4pm).
PYO crops: strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, whitecurrants, blackberries, asparagus, broad beans, carrots, beetroot, runner beans, French beans, squashes and pumpkins, globe artichokes. Many over a long season. Lots of potato varieties. Farm shop has fresh fruit and vegetables plus butchery by Mr Finn. Ample car parking. Children's play area and sandpit. Picnics. Tractor and trailer rides at weekends. Easy disabled access.

Sandy Lane Farm, Tiddington, OX9 2LA
Tel 01844 279269
Weekly co-operative market is held in their barn, Thursdays 2 - 6pm, with produce from Sandy Lane and other local farmers. Meat, veg, flowers, honey etc.

Dews Meadow Farm Shop, Oxford Road, East Hanney, Nr Wantage
Tel 01235 868634
Farm shop selling their own farm reared pork and pork products. Locally sourced beef, lamb & chicken are also available. Open weekdays 8.30am-5pm (Fri till 6pm), Sat 8.30am-5pm; closed Sun.

The Old Farm Shop, Milton Hill, Harwell, Abingdon
Tel 01235 831247
PYO: Many berries, plus broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, marrow, peas, pumpkins, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn, asparagus.
Farm Shop: As for PYO plus greater range of fruit and veg. Own lamb, poultry, turkey, eggs, game, bread, cakes, pies, honey. Organic section. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-5.30pm. Easy disabled access. Toilets. Free delivery of local orders.

Wykham Park Farm Shop, Banbury
(A361 towards Chipping Norton from Banbury Town Centre. After 1 mile, turn left at cross-roads signed Bodicote. Farm shop is 1/4 mile on the left hand side).
Tel 01295 262049.
Specialize in asparagus (the season ends mid June and they are open 7 days during it) and their own lamb, beef, sausages, potatoes and paeonies, plus other seasonal veg. Shop open generally Mon - Sat 8.30am - 5.30pm, Sun 9.30am - 1pm.

Buscot Park Soft Fruit Farm (between Lechlade & Faringdon on the A417)
Sadly stopped trading in 2006. Grounds and house still open, however!