Chase the blooms all year round with these beautiful flower displays near Newcastle, including sunflowers, tulips, cherry blossom and wildflowers.
There’s nothing I love more than being surrounded by gorgeous flowers and soaking up the beauty of nature.
As well as making a great photo opportunity, flower fields, gardens and trails make wonderful days out, and over the last few years, they’ve encouraged me to venture further afield and discover lots of beautiful places across the North East.
For true flower power all year round, I’ve curated a list of my favourites to give you a head start with your seasonal planning, so be sure to add these bloomin’ marvellous displays to your 2027 diary now and you won’t miss out.
Just remember to check with individual venues to confirm when the flowers are in bloom, as timings can vary depending on the (very unpredictable!) weather and local growing conditions.
Wildflowers at The Flower Belt
In bloom: July – August
This family-run farm near Helmsley grows beautiful wildflowers in the summer, including poppies, cornflowers, daisies and cosmos. The farm’s colourful meadow is the very definition of whimsical, as you wander through the pretty fields, filling your mason jar with freshly picked flowers (and at a reasonable price too). There’s also a cute on-site cafe called The Honey Trap where you can tuck into handmade pizza.
Sunflowers at East Grange Farm
In bloom: August
Billed as one of the North East’s largest sunflower trails, East Grange Farm in High Shincliffe boasts two million sunflowers spread across a 12-acre field. At a petite 5ft 2in tall, most of the sunflowers towered above me, and it really did feel like I’d wandered into a secret sunflower maze! Expect plenty of photo opportunities and be prepared for a muddy walk if it’s been raining.
Snowdrops at Howick Hall
In bloom: February – March
Howick Hall in Northumberland is the ancestral seat of the Earl Greys and is best known for its connection to the famous tea blend. Quietly signalling the onset of spring, Howick’s snowdrop trail is a captivating spectacle. Follow the marked path around the estate, which takes you through woodland and across open meadow as you admire sprawling carpets of delicate white flowers. After a very long winter, it reminded me that the new season was just around the corner!
The crocus lawn at Wallington Hall
In bloom: February – March
The crocus lawn at National Trust site Wallington Hall can be found in the estate’s formal Walled Garden, which transforms into a vibrant sea of purple when more than 100,000 crocuses burst into colour. My top tip is to venture up onto the top terrace beside the Edwardian conservatory, where you can look down over the garden and enjoy sweeping, panoramic views.
Tulips at Spilmans Farm
In bloom: April
Forget Amsterdam – we have our very own tulip fields here in the North East! Spilmans Farm near Thirsk hosted its first-ever tulip festival earlier this year, with more than 250,000 tulip bulbs featuring 50 different varieties. You can’t pick the flowers – they’re just for admiring and photographing, but you can purchase a bouquet from the farm’s shop before you leave. With row upon row of bright tulips, this is a gorgeous sight!
Cherry blossom at The Alnwick Garden
In bloom: April – May
The Alnwick Garden is home to an orchard of 329 Taihaku cherry blossom trees – the largest collection in the world. A meandering path leads you through the trees, with benches and wooden swings dotted around, perfect for pausing and taking in the orchard’s ever-so-pretty surroundings. The ice-white flowers put on their spectacular display for just two weeks each year, so look out for The Alnwick Garden officially announcing when they’re in full bloom.
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