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The heritage reviving,
Local Lavender project, set up by local environmental organisation
BioRegional1, invites the public to take part in its fifth community
harvest. The fields located in Carshalton Beeches south London,
will be open on the weekend of 2nd - 3rd August 2003, from 10am-
4pm. Families and fans of lavender are invited to Pick Your Own
Lavender and take part in other lavender activities such as nature
talks and aromatherapy.
The award-winning project was
initiated as a unique collaboration between local environmental
organisation BioRegional, HM Prison Downview and the London Borough
of Sutton in. The project is reviving the once famous lavender fields
of the Carshalton area of London, the “lavender capital of
the world” in the 1900s when blue fields of Lavender could
be seen all over Wallington, Carshalton, Waddon and Sutton. The
area helped companies such as Yardley build an international reputation
in perfumery and bath luxuries.
The harvest has been a popular
attraction over the past 4 years with the organic flower crop growing
larger every year. An ingenious harvesting machine in the form of
a small scale “Heritage Harvester”2 will collect lavender
heads not picked by the public. The fabulous contraption was custom
built from scrap and recycled materials by an engineering team from
Cranfield University, led by Dr James Brighton, consultant engineer
to Channel 4’s "Scrap-heap Challenge” and “Junkyard
Wars". This lavender will be distilled into pure essential
oil that can be used for aromatherapy or relaxing scents.
Lavender oil distilled from last
year’s harvest will be on sale this year together with lavender
plants and organic refreshments. An aromatherapist will give advice
on using lavender for healing and a wildlife talk will explain how
lavender fits into the local ecosystem. Other lavender attractions
include lavender cookie tasting, oil distillation demonstrations,
lavender arts and crafts and local artists at work.
So come along to the open days
to pick your own lavender and see the scrap heap harvester in action.
BioRegional staff will be present to discuss the fascinating, historic
industry that once swathed the area in fields of blue and to provide
tips on how to dry and use the lavender itself. |
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Local girls in the 3-acre
field
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