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Pick Your Own fruit farm in East Sussex
Amenities

An overview of our Fruit Farm

- Pick your own fruit -
Windmill Hill is a 22 hectare fruit farm situated in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site was chosen for fruit growing because it is out of the frost pockets in the valleys, and has the benefit of marvellous views over Bewl Water and the surrounding countryside, which is a patchwork of woodland and small mixed farms.

The soil is on the heavy side for fruit growing and although we curse it in wet winters the water retaining properties are beneficial in dry summers. We collect winter rainfall in a million gallon reservoir for summer irrigation of soft fruits.

Over the seventy three years since David and Mary bought the farm the business has evolved to be entirely fruit growing, and the advantages of the wonderful site are maximised by inviting the public to pick their own fruit during the season.

The cropping area for pick your own only occupies about a third of the total, so most of the plums, apples and nuts are sold through supermarkets and other outlets. Our blackcurrant enterprise covers about 20 hectares on various rented parcels of land in the locality.

People who return year after year to the farm notice the crops constantly being replanted in new locations, and crop rotation is at the heart of our pest and disease control strategy. You will also notice areas of rough grass and woodland to encourage the birds and insects which help us control various pests. These and many other things such as choosing disease resistant varieties allow us to minimise pesticide use in a system called Integrated Crop Management.

Amenities and Nearby Attractions

We have parking, a designated place for picnics, and a toilet block on site.

We aim to facilitate fruit picking for those with disabilities wherever possible, though the nature of a farm is such that we cannot always allow cars near the crops.

Although we love dogs, our fruit doesn’t. We kindly ask that you leave your dogs at home when you visit out farm.

A great country pub, The Bull, borders the farm at Three Leg Cross. Just down the road is the beautiful village of Ticehurst, with a couple of other classic country pubs – The Bell and The Cherry Tree Inn in Ticehurst.

Other local attractions include Batemans, Scotney Castle, Bedgebury Pinetum and Pashley Manor Gardens. Head to the Ticehurst site for more info.