AN OCEAN of purple stretching out to the horizon greeted thousands of visitors to Mayfield Lavender at the weekend.
The lavender fields in Croydon Lane, Banstead opened up on Saturday and Sunday for the annual lavender festival with tractor rides, bug hunts, lavender tours and massages on offer.
The farm was the brainchild of Brendan Maye in 2002 when he was managing director of Wella UK's fragrance division. He wanted to promote the beauty and uses of lavender.
At the festival, stalls were selling produce made on the farm, along with lavender-themed gifts.
Youngsters also took advantage of face-painting and the opportunity for a unique game of hide and seek among the blooms.
Grown-ups searching for some relaxation in the summer sun enjoyed scented massages, while the culinary-minded put their skills to good use in a bake-off.
Katherine Newton, from Mayfield Lavender, said: "It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the lavender in the sun this weekend.
"We were so lucky with the weather and the lavender looked amazing.
"It was by far the busiest weekend we have ever had at the farm and it is great to see its popularity growing with more and more people coming from further away to see what we have here."
She added: "We are very lucky, though, because people in the local area support us really well too and we are always grateful for that."
The 25-acres of lavender are planted exactly where the plants were grown in the 18th and 19th century and Mr Maye and his wife Lorna now farm the flowers to create oil, tea and other produce.
The lavender field is open every day until September 30.
