Find out where to pick your own strawberries and soft fruit in York!

We’ve listed details of the PYO places in or close to York. Strawberry and fruit picking is such a fun activity to do with kids, so get outside in the sun and get picking!

Strawberry picking can start as soon as early May, and reaches its peak in June and July but can be very weather dependent. Some farms will have other soft fruits to pick too including gooseberries and raspberries. Check individual websites before you set off to see what’s available and plentiful on the day you want to pick!

We’ve also listed all the best spots in York where you can pick blackberries (for free!) in York!

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Spilmans – Church Lane, Sessay YO7 3NB

Enjoy a fun day out at Spilmans Farm in Thirsk and pick some delicious strawberries! Plus sunflowers and potatoes will be ready in July. The raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries don’t ripen until later in the season.

Pre-booking required – book here

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The Balloon Tree Farm Shop & Cafe – Stamford Bridge Road, Gate Helmsley, York, YO41 1NB

There is no pre-booking required, just turn up and follow the ‘Pick your own’ signs. Punnets are available from the Berry Barn and PYO fields. Pick what you like before heading to the Berry Barn or Farm Shop to pay for what you have picked.

Currently, there are plenty of strawberries available to pick – keep an eye on their website and Facebook page to see what’s available.

The Farmshop, Café and children’s play area are all open, so there is plenty of things to do and enjoy.

PYO entry fee is £1.50 per person (babies & toddlers free entry). Fruit is purchased at the Berry Barn kiosk or Farm Shop till based on weight. Entry charge will be added to the price of the fruit you have picked at the till.

⏰ Opening times for PYO depend on fruit availability – check here before you set off. Farm Shop is open Mon-Sun from 9am – 5,30pm. Cafe is open Mon-Sun from 9am-5pm (kitchen closes at 4.30pm)
ℹ️ FACEBOOKand WEBSITE
📍Stamford Bridge Road, Gate Helmsley, York, YO41 1NB

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Kemps Farm

The pick your own near Malton is open all through the school summer holidays with strawberries, raspberries and sunflowers available to pick.  Our strawberries are now grown on tabletops – no bending required to pick them – all outdoors, so they ripen naturally adding to their flavour.  This method of growing strawberries also allows us to extend the season with delicious strawberries now available throughout the summer.   Our sunflower patch is looking magnificent, why not pick a few of these happy blooms to take home.  By October our attention turns to PYO pumpkins, but you can see them now growing in the field.

We also have a small shop selling our own jam along with drinks and ice creams and as we are part of a working farm there are crops and livestock is adjacent fields to see – you may see our bulls Fred and Barney or perhaps our tractors and combine harvester working in the fields.

Glebe farm, Barton-le-Street, Malton, YO17 6PP

07798 937821
info@kemps.farm
Visit Website

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The best places to pick blackberries in York

St Nicks Fields: There are blackberries all over the cycle track here, along the river. There is a little park there as well as the centre, great for a picnic too. 

Hagg Wood: Found at the East of Dunnington, You can pick up loads with a nice walk around these woods.

West Bank Park Woods: Go into West Bank Park via the entrance opposite the windmill, go through the little park on the right and you are in the woods. 

Old Railway Line: A footpath & cycle path that runs from the junction of Crichton Avenue and Wigginton Road (near the hospital) to James Street (at the back of Morrisons) and on to Osbaldwick. It used to be a line that took workers to Rowntree, goods to the Foss Island depots and families out to Escrick for a day out. 

Heworth Gym Club: There are loads on the Cycle Path and river near the Heworth Gym Club. One Mumbler suggests taking a sting cream for the nettles here though! 

Micklegate Stray / The Knavesmire to Fulford Road: There are lots around here and especially the track between the barracks through Fulford Road – just growing wild! And in the woods just near the Millennium Bridge.

Wheldrake Woods: You’ll find blackberries around the outer paths here. 

Derwenthorpe Park / Old Tang Hall Library: Pick Blackberries all along the cycle path between these 2. All the way down 5th Avenue. 

New Earswick: Lots here by the Foss on Willow Bank YO32 4TQ and also on the Sports Field. YO32 4AG

Acomb Wood: A lovely little woodland on Acomb Wood Drive. 

Rawcliffe: Off Shipton Road at the back of the Premier Inn. There are loads of brambles and you can have a really good walk there too.

Clifton: The cycle track between Clifton & New Earswick (Clifton End). The Access point next to the Nestle Factory along Wigginton Road gives easy access to loads.

Poppleton
Low Poppleton Lane towards Manor School and there are lots of blackberries along there.

Haxby
Lots down Landing Lane here and there is a lovely walk all the way to Earswick here too. 

Here’s a bit more information about blackberry picking!

• It’s hard to go wrong when picking blackberries, as the closest thing they look like are black raspberries so you shouldn’t be able to go too far wrong. Just make sure they’re nice and ripe – they should fall off into your fingers quite easily when picking.
• Although it’s always recommended to wash wild fruit before you eat it, it’s really important to do this when they are lining roads or lining farmers’ fields.
• Blackberries don’t ripen after they are picked, so there’s no point in picking any green ones.

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🍓 We hope you enjoy picking your own strawberries and fruit in York this summer! 🍓