Nothing says summer like the PYO signs for soft summer fruits of Strawberries and Raspberries, although I can never decide which one is my actual favourite, they are both delicious!
Going along to a PYO Raspberry is great fun for the entire family, although it can be tough on the fingers when you happen to touch the spiky stems!
Before you head out on your raspberry picking adventure, check out these
Raspberry Picking Tips
- Raspberries should be picked when they are fully ripe, you can tell this as they roll into your fingers without effort leaving them with a much more soft and gentle texture.
- Check for ripeness to ensure the raspberry is plump, deep in color and still slightly firm.
- If you gently pull on the raspberry. It should easily come away from the stem, leaving the stem on the plant. If it resists it’s probably not fully ripe and should be left to ripen longer.
- Always check the berries around the ones you pick. Its highly likely they are the same maturity and are also ready to be picked.
- The raspberry plants do have small thorns so be careful when grasping the branches.
- Place in shallow, hard containers and do not stack the berries too deep. It’s better to use multiple smaller containers to avoid the soft fruit getting damaged.
- Always check on the day you are going that the PYO place is open, as sometimes bad weather causes them to shut without any notice.
- Earlier the better, not only is it cooler on a summers day first thing, but the PYO farms tend to be less busy when they first open, so enabling you lots more choice of berries.
- Check each individual farm to see if you are required to bring your own containers to collect the fruit, every place is different.
- You are wanting to pick the ripest berries, therefore they need to be used almost immediately (which is never a problem in our house!)
- Be careful where you stand, try to avoiding stepping across the rows of raspberry bushes as it may damage the younger plants.
- Start at the far end of a row, and don’t be afraid to get right inside the bushes, many of the best raspberries can be found lower down and in the middle of the bushes.
- Ensure you wear a long sleeved top, those bushes can give you quite a few scratches, especially if you are searching in the middle.
How To Store Raspberries
As stated above, when you pick raspberries, they are already ripe, so there is no requirements to wait for them to ripen, therefore they should be consumed within a few days, there are a few tips to enable them to last a few days:
- Try to avoid washing them until you want to eat or cook them. If you Rinse them before you store them it accelerates them going bad.
- Store them in the fridge in a hard container, to ensure they have minimal bruising.
- Due to them being fully ripe when picked, use them within a few days.
- You can also freeze them
The Benefits of Pick Your Own Raspberries
I will admit that PYO raspberries can work out slightly more expensive than buying them from a supermarket or ready picked, but the benefits are definitely worth it. You may have to you pay an entry fee at some PYO Farms, but this is usually deducted from whatever produce you buy.
- The children can see exactly where their food comes from.
- It reduces food miles, your raspberries don’t need to be transported from another country, when they are a short drive away.
- They have a much better taste, when picked at the time they are supposed to.
- It’s helping to support a local business. Farming is hard enough these days, so it’s nice to give something back locally.
- It gets the entire family out of the house, everyone will enjoy walking (or running) up and down the raspberry patch looking for the biggest, juiciest raspberries.
- Its about making memories with your children, I still have fond memories of going raspberry picking when I was a child, and it’s important for our children to experience these things too.
Raspberry Picking Near Me
Raspberry Picking Bedfordshire
Graveley Fruit Farm
Location : Graveley Fruit Farm, Graveley, SG4 7EH
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Grove Farm
Location : Great Gap, lvinghoe Leighton Buzzard LU7 9DZ
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Hill Farm
Location : Oundle Rd, Chesterton, Peterborough, PE7 3UA
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Raspberry Picking Berkshire
Gray’s Farm
Location : Heathlands Road, Wokingham, Berkshire
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Copas Farms
Location : Lower Mount Farm, Long Lane, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9RF
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Raspberry Picking Bristol
St Aldams Nursery
Location : Westerleigh Rd, Pucklechurch, Bristol BS16 9PY
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Raspberry Picking Buckinghamshire
Copas Farm
Location : Calves Lane Farm, Billet Lane, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SL0 0LU
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Peterley Manor Farm
Location : Peterley Lane, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. HP16 0HH
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Raspberry Picking Cambridgeshire
Lidgate Farm
Location : Prickwillow Road, Isleham CB7 5RG
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Hill Farm
Location : Oundle Road, Chesterton, Peterborough, PE7 3UA
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Raspberry Picking Cheshire
Kenyon Hall Farm
Location : Winwick Ln, Croft, Warrington WA3 7ED
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Woore Fruit Farm
Location : Newcastle Road, Woore, Crewe
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Bearstone Fruit Farm
Location : Knighton Nr. Market Drayton TF94HJ
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Poynton Fruit Farm
Location : Coppice Road, Poynton SK12 1SW
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Shawbury Fruit Farm
Location : Shawbury, Edgebolton, Shrewsbury SY4 4EL
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Raspberry Picking Cornwall
Mitchell Fruit Garden
Location : Mitchell Newquay Cornwall TR8 5BZ
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Trevathan Farm
Location : St Endellion near Port Isaac, Cornwall PL29 3TT
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Trevaskis Farm
Location : Connor Downs, Hayle, TR27 5JQ
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Raspberry Picking County Durham
FW Elgey
Location : Low Fields, Piercebridge, near Darlington DL2 3SU
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Raspberry Picking Derbyshire
Scaddows Farm
Location : Scaddows Lane Ticknall Derbyshire DE73 7JP
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Raspberry Picking Devon
Thornes Farm Shop
Location : Hawthorne Gardens, Stockleigh Pomeroy, Crediton EX17 4BH
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Pips Pick Your Own
Location : Behind Ben’s Farm Shop, Yealmpton, Plymouth, PL8 2LT
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Royal Oak Farm
Location : Cotleigh, Honiton, Devon, EX14 9LF
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Shute Fruit
Location : Bishopsteignton Teignmouth Devon TQ14 9PN
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Oak Tree Gardens
Location : Ashprington Totnes TQ9 7UU
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Raspberry Picking Dorset
Sopley Farm
Location : Derritt Lane, Sopley, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7AZ
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Cat and Fiddle Farm
Location : Lyndhurst Road, Hinton, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7DS
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Forde Abbey and Gardens
Location : Dorset/Somerset border, TUA20 4LU
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Lenctenbury Farm
Location : Soldiers Road, Norden, Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5DU
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Blagdon Fruit Farm
Location : Coldharbour, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4BG
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Raspberry Picking Essex
Cammas Hall Fruit Farm
Location : Cammas Hall Farm Needham Green, Hatfield Broad Oak CM22 7JT
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McLauchlans of Boxted Fruit Farm
Location : 53 Straight Road, Boxted, near Colchester, Essex CO4 5RB.
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Lathcoats Farm
Location : Beehive Lane, Galleywood, CM2 8LX
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Spencer’s Farm Shop
Location : Park Road, Halstead, CO9 2PX
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Little Mountains Farm
Location : Mountains Road, Great Totham, Maldon, Essex, CM9 8BY
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Raspberry Picking Gloucestershire
Primrose Vale PYO
Location : Shurdington Road, Bentham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 4UA.
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Over Farm
Location : Market Highnam, Gloucester GL2 8DB
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Hayles Fruit Farm
Location : Winchcombe, Cheltenham GL54 5PB
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Raspberry Picking Hampshire
Bourne Valley PYO
Location : Egbury Road, SP11 6DQ St Mary Bourne
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Durleighmarsh Farm
Location : Rogate Road, Petersfield, Hampshire GU31 5AX
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Goodalls PYO Farm
Location : Bamptons Farm, South Baddesley Road, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 5SH
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Steve Harris Ltd
Location : Meon-Bye Farm, Triangle Lane, Titchfield, PO14 4HB
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West Green Fruits
Location : West Green Road, Hartley Wintney, Hook, Hampshire RG27 8LP
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Raspberry Picking Hertfordshire
Hawkswick Lodge Farm
Location : Harpenden Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6JG
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Graveley Fruit Farm
Location : Graveley Fruit Farm, Graveley, SG4 7EH
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Pearce’s Farm Shop
Location : Hamels Mead, Buntingford, Herts SG9 9ND
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Parkside PYO
Location : Hadley Road, Enfield EN2 8LA
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Raspberry Picking Kent
Stanhill Farm Shop
Location : Birchwood Road, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent, DA2 7HD
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Lower Ladysden Farm
Location : Winchet Hill, Goudhurst, TN17 1JX
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Chilton Manor Farm
Location : Highsted Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 0AA
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Downingbury farm
Location : Maidstone Road, Pembury, Kent, TN2 4AD
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Felderland Farm
Location : Deal Road, Sandwich, CT14 0BJ
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Hewitts Farm
Location : Court Road, A224, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9BX
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Milebush Farm
Location : Shingle Barn Lane, West Farleigh, Maidstone ME15 0PN
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Meopham PYO
Location : Broomfield Farm House, Ifield Rd, Meopham, Gravesend DA13 0QH
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Stonepitts Farm
Location : Watery Lane, Seal Chart, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0ER
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Raspberry Picking Lancashire
Greenbank Farm
Location : Over Kellet Village, Near Carnforth Lancashire LA6 1BS
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Raspberry Picking Leicestershire
Cattows Farm
Location : Swepstone Road Heather Leicestershire LE67 2RF
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Whetstone Pastures
Location : Whetstone Gorse Lane, Leicester, LE86 If you use Sat Nav then put in the DOG and GUN pub Whetstone, then a mile from there further along the A426
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Grange Farm Soft Fruit PYO
Location : Copston Magna, Near Wolvey, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 3HE
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Wymeswold Fruit Farm
Location : Wide Lane, Wymeswold, Leicestershire LE12 6SE
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Raspberry Picking Lincolnshire
Peaks Top Farm
Location : New Waltham, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN36 4RS
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Raspberry Picking Merseyside
Claremont Farm
Location : Old Clatterbridge Road, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 4JB
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Sandhill PYO Farm
Location : Warrington Road, Rainhill, Prescot, L35 6PG
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Raspberry Picking Norfolk
A G Meale
Location : Wayford Nurseries, Stalham, Norwich, NR12 9LJ
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Hillfield Nursery
Location : Mill Lane, Thorpe-Next-Haddiscoe, Norwich NR14 6PA
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Sharrington – not PYO
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The Tacons
Location : The Grange, Rollesby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR29 5AJ
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Raspberry Picking Northamptonshire
Grange Farm Harpole
Location : Upper High Street, Harpole, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN7 4DJ
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Dovecote Farm
Location : Newton, Geddington, Nr. Kettering, Northants, NN14 1BW
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Raspberry Picking Northumberland
Brocksbushes Farm and Tea Room
Location : Brocksbushes Farm, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE43 7UB
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Raspberry Picking Nottinghamshire
Goacher’s Fruit
Location : Greenacres, Wood Lane North Wheatley, Retford, DN22 9BG
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Hill’s Pick Your Own Fruit Farm
Location : Corner Field, A617, Kirklington, NG22 8BU
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School Farm
Location : School Farm, West Drayton, Retford, DN22 8DB
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Raspberry Picking Oxfordshire
Rectory Farm
Location : Pound Ln, Stanton St. John, Oxford, OX33 1HF
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Millets Farm Centre
Location : Kingston Road, Frilford, Nr Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5HB
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The Old Farm Shop
Location : Milton Hill, Abingdon, OX13 6AG
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Raspberry Picking Somerset
Thurloxton Farm
Location : Adjoining the A38 between Taunton and Bridgwater For SatNav please use postcode: TA2 8RG
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Forde Abbey
Location : 4 Wheel House Lane, Thorncombe, Chard, TA20 4NA
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Raspberry Picking Staffordshire
Manor Farm Fruits
Location : Watling Street, Hints, Tamworth, B78 3DF
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Woore Fruit Farm
Location : Newcastle Rd, Woore, Crewe, CW3 9RE
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Bearstone Fruit Farm
Location : Knighton, near Market Drayton, TF9 4HJ
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Canalside Farm, Shop and Café
Location : Mill Lane, Great Haywood, Stafford, ST18 0RQ
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Raspberry Picking Suffolk
Goslings Farm
Location : High Road, Trimley St Martin, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 0SG
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Friday Street Farm
Location : Farnham, Suffolk IP17 1JX
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Alder Carr Farm
Location : Creeting St Mary, Ipswich IP6 8LX
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High House Fruit Farm
Location : Sudbourne, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2BL
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Raspberry Picking Surrey
Crockford Bridge Farm
Location : New Haw Road, Addlestone, KT15 2BU.
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Garsons at Esher
Location : Winterdown Road, Esher, KT10 8LS
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Secretts
Location : Hurst Farm Chapel Lane Milford Surrey GU8 5HU
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Flower Farm Shop
Location : Oxted Road A25, Godstone, RH9 8BP
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Raspberry Picking Sussex
Maynards Fruit farm
Location : Ticehurst TN5 7HQ
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Sharnfold Farm
Location : Hailsham Road, Stone Cross, Eastbourne, BN24 5BU
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Roundstone Farm
Location : Littlehampton Road, Angmering, Worthing, BN12 6PW.
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Cherry Gardens Farm
Location : Cherry Gardens Hill, Groombridge, Kent, TN3 9NY
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Tibbs Farm
Location : Udimore, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 6AR
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Raspberry Picking Warwickshire
Red Road Nursery
Location : Little Kineton, Warwick, CV35 0DH
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Malt Kiln Farm
Location : Main Street, Stretton-under-Fosse, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 0PE
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Lower Clopton Farm Shop
Location : Upper Quinton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8LQ
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Raspberry Picking West Midlands
Essington Fruit Farm
Location : Bognop Road, Essington, Wolverhampton, WV11 2AZ
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Caldicott’s Nursery
50 Lovelace Avenue Solihull West Mids. B91 3JR
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Raspberry Picking Wiltshire
Lotmead Farm
Location : Wanborough, Swindon SN4 0SN
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Ansty Pick Your Own and Farm Shop
Location : Salisbury, SP3 5PX
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Raspberry Picking Worcestershire
Clive’s Fruit Farm
Location : Willingsworth, Clive’s Fruit Farm, Upton Upon Severn, Worcester WR8 0SA
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Stanleys Farm Shop
Fishers Castle Farm, Harvington, Kidderminster DY10 4NF
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Bells Farm Shop
Location : Worcester Road, Hartlebury, near Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 9SA
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Raspberry Picking Yorkshire
Hutton Bonville Fruit Farm
Location : Hutton Bonville, Northallerton DL7 0NR
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Scalby Grange
Location : Scalby Lane, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU15 2UJ
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The Balloon Tree
Location : A166, Gate Helmsley, York, YO41 1NB
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Cedarbarn Farm Shop
Location : Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7JX
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Spilmans
Location : Church Farm, Sessay, THIRSK, YO7 3NB
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East Field Farm
Location : Doncaster Road, Tickhill, Doncaster, DN11 9JD
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Farmer Copleys
Location : Ravensknowle Farm, Pontefract Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 5AF
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Kemps Farm
Location : Glebe Farm, Barton-Le-Street, Malton, YO17 6PP
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Bentley Grange
Location : Woodhouse Lane, Emley, Huddersfield, HD8 9QX
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Have you found the perfect place to go raspberry picking, don’t forget to check out Strawberry picking near me