Amsterdam’s Spring calendar is booked annually for their Tulip Festival. It’s been on my bucket list for many years. Then, earlier this year, via social media, I found out there’s annual festival in West Sussex! The festival is hosted by Tulleys Farm. My first trip to Tulleys was for our kids’ joint birthday treat. We booked an Escape Room experience. It was fun but challenging. Let’s just say we didn’t escape. While there I saw advertising for their Halloween and Christmas experiences. However, it was TulleysTulip Festival that drew me back. I bought open season tickets for me and my family. British weather is so temperamental. Having the option of attending any day of my choosing was the best solution. Tulleys Tulip Festival brings a taste of Keukenhof to Crawley, West Sussex.
About Tulleys Farm
Tulley’s Farm is the enterprise of one family’s forward thinking. Starting with Bernard Beare a Devonian farmer who relocated to East, eventually settling in 1937 Worth Hall Farm. Bernad expanded the farm beyond diary to vegetable and herb crops. Several years later, his son Stuart equally visionary, opened a farm shop summer of 1992.
Stuart has now incorporated an attraction element to the business. Tulleys is now the destination in West Sussex for attractions such as Halloween Festival, Drive-in-Cinema as I mentioned Escape
Tulleys Taste Of Amsterdam
This year there are over 100 different varieties of tulips. 500,000 tulip bulbs were planted for the festival, early, mid and late bloomers. Hence, at any point of your visit you are guaranteed a beauteous spectacle. Whenever you visit those are the bloom meant to be in season. Tulleys doesn’t ‘plant lots of rows with mixes, that contain early, mid and late season, which helps to ensure the fields look fabulous through until we close for the season.’
‘Each variety of tulip adds its own unique charm and character to the landscape, creating a mesmerising visual feast. These fields are not just a treat for the eyes but also offer a peaceful escape into nature, where the beauty of these flowers can be truly appreciated.’
On site, there’s a variety of food stalls: Dutch Street Food and Bar. Naturally there are lots of photo can opportunities.
Visitor’s Tip: Aim for a weekday or on weekends as early as possible to opening time for the best photo opportunities.
Our Experience At Tulleys Tulip Festival
We’ve had fun staycations in Crawley, West Sussex but the Tulip Festival was a different vibe. I wanted to check it out. The first clear Saturday between the opening and closing date, we road tripped to the festival. Arriving at roughly 10:30 am, the field was already busy. Nonetheless, we were able to capture stunning images. In total, we stayed perhaps an hour and a half.
You can easily make a day of it but had a packed lunch and wanted to visit another local attractionI. I would say the tickets are value for money, especially when you book open season ticket. It gives you more flexiblity of when to attend. Then, there’s the beauty and variety of tulips. Imagine a landscape speckled with every colour of the rainbow and all the shades in-between. Behold blooms with swirl of colours mixed like a watercolour painting, deep majestic purples and flowers with edges serated as though snipped with the finest scissors. Then, all around, Dutch themed installations at optimal points to create Instagrammable vistas.
LAST CALL: The festival end 28th April, last entry at 6pm.
Getting To Tulleys Tulip Festival
Tulleys in located in Crawley, West Sussex. If you don’t drive, you can get to Tulleys easily by public transport. The nearest train station is 3 Bridges from there take a 10 mins bus ride.
As a spring staycation, West Sussex will not disappoint. Apart from Tulleys there are gardens and parks to explore, as well as shopping Its less than an hour away from Brighton and Reigate. It’s not overly busy so you can retreat there.
Have you ever visited a flower farm? Where do you like visit? Comment below I’d love to hear from you. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Xpat At Home.
