The Flower Belt near Helmsley was featured by The Times in its roundup of top PYO flower fields and is said to have 32 varieties of flowers on show bursting with colour.
The publisher commented on its guide: “Flower tourism is at a record high, with a growing number of botanical tourists travelling the world to catch a glimpse of Japan’s cherry blossom or the Netherlands’ tulips.
“Thankfully, you don’t have to hop on a plane to join in: summer is when some of the UK’s prettiest flowers are at their best and there are flower farms sprouting up all over the country where you can pluck your own basket full of lavender or a bright bunch of dahlias.”
Take a look at the UK’s best very best PYO flower fields here.
What did The Times say about The Flower Belt?
Location: Just off the A170 Thirsk to Helmsley Road, only a two minute drive from Helmsley. York, YO62 5EE.
The Times revealed: “Henry Wainwright — a 25-year-old, third-generation farmer — introduced summer PYO sessions in 2022 to this low-key flower farm, a 45-minutes’ drive north of York.
“They run from July until autumn, with 32 varieties of wildflower, 45,000 tulips and a vast sunflower field to pick from (sunflower stem £1, jar of wildflowers £6; theflowerbelt.co.uk).
“There’s also a PYO pumpkin patch in October (from £3). Dogs are welcome, and a café serves ice cream, coffee and freshly baked cakes; the real bonus here is the views over the rolling landscape of Ryedale and Helmsley.”
@_zoemarch She was a wildflower 🤍💐 Location: The flower belt Helmsley 🤍 . . . . . . . #flowers #wildflower #wildflowers #flowerpicking ♬ original sound – bollybeo
It added: “You’re a 20-minute drive from Cawthorne House, a homely B&B in Pickering with excellent food and its own sourdough school.
“Or head further south to the riverside city of York, a 40-minute drive — don’t miss a chance to climb up the tower at York Minster, one of the grandest gothic cathedrals in Europe.”
The Flower Belt website writes: “We are a pick your own flower farm on the outskirts of the market town of Helmsley. With 32 different varieties of wild flower to pick from, as well as a large sunflower field, you can spend hours creating your prefect selection of flowers to take home.
“Simply fill a jam jar or metal vase with as many flowers as you’d like and we’ll wrap them up for you to take home.”
Imagine a house full of wild flowers this summer from The Flower Belt (Image: Getty)
Last summer, this visitor wrote on Google reviews: “Adore this place and I’d go every day if I could. Picked beautiful wild flowers but they do sunflowers too and it’s really great value. Also have a tea and coffee hut. Even if you aren’t picking flowers you could just stop for a drink and enjoy the sight. One downside is there is no over head coving at any of the seating area so if it rains you will get wet. They are doing pumpkins soon! 10/10 pumpkins.”
Recommended reading:
Another added: “A beautiful wildflower meadow offers a calm and peaceful pyo experience. I love my flowers, which are now in a jug on an outside table attracting the attention of many bees!”
The Flower Belt is set to open 10am-5pm for the summer once the school holidays have started.
It’s important to note you should check The Flower Belt’s social channels to keep up to date with the latest opening dates, times and availability.
