- This event has passed.
Pick your own Sunflowers 2025
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
15th Aug - 2nd Sep
09:00 - 17:00
Open daily
including bank holidays
Closing Date:
Last Day Open: Tues 2nd Sept
Where:
Rougham Sunflower and Pumpkin Field
Just north of Junction 45 of the A14,
3 miles east of Bury St Edmunds
Detailed directions with the map below
See mapPricing:
Free admission and parking No booking needed
Sunflower stems are charged:
£2 each £8 for 5 stems £12 for 10 stems
Supper At Sundown BBQ - just come along!
Pay for what you want at the time
Rougham Sunflowers 2025
The Sunflowers have now closed for 2025. See our Events page for what’s on next
Could there be anything better than strolling through vibrant blooms of sunflowers, picking to your heart’s content?
Well, you can do it at Rougham Sunflowers! Just east of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, the field is open once again this summer of 2025. Come and enjoy the wonderful display!
Opening and Closing Dates
The flowers have had a hard time this year with the weather, but yes, the sunflower field opened on Friday 15th August. We left it as long as we could, but wanted to open the field before the schools went back. The blooms are now opening more and more and the field is becoming more yellow each day.
Once the field opens it is open every day including Sundays and bank holidays until we close, unless of course the weather gets really bad and we can’t open for a day or so. In these cases we will let you know here on this page and through our social media posts.
The field usually stays open for 2-3 weeks; the closing date will be determined according to how the sunflower blooms are holding up.
UPDATE: The field will be open every day up to and including Tuesday 2 September. It will be closed from Wednesday 3 September.
Location
The sunflowers are in the same field as last year, just off the A14, retaining the same simple rustic charm and offering plenty of photo opportunities, as well as the joy of time outside in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, with room for children to run and climb. We cut pathways through the sunflowers to make it easy for you to explore the area.
Things to do
There is plenty more to enjoy too with space to picnic, deckchairs and benches including wheelchair-friendly benches, big bale pyramids to climb on, sandpits, a bug-hunt challenge (50p) to keep little ones occupied, ice cream and pedal tractors as well as lots of fabulous photo opportunities. New for this year, there are some football goals to keep more energetic people happy – please bring your own footballs!
Face Painting
Face painting for children aged 3 years and older will be available most days from Face-It Face Painting (£5).
Please note: there is no face painting on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd September.
Snacks
Snacks and drinks will be provided by Roots&Co, an outlet of Roots Café, the café located at Blackthorpe Barn, 2 minutes’ drive away.
Roots&Co will be serving coffees, teas, cold and iced drinks, sausage rolls, vegan rolls, crisps, loaded strawberries, traybake cakes, ice creams and other snacks.
Beer and Prosecco will also be available, as well as ice cream for dogs.
You are welcome to bring your own picnic with you too.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome in the picnic area of the field. We have made a special pathway for dogs through the sunflowers; they are not allowed in the main maze due to having had too much to clean up in previous years. There is even some ice cream for dogs available from the onsite café.
Please make sure that your dog doesn’t spoil the enjoyment of other visitors at the event or block any passageways.
No Smoking
Due to the weather and the extreme dryness this year, please note that the field is a No Smoking area.
Video from the 2022 sunflower field, made by Troy Productions
Evening Opening – Supper at Sundown BBQ
- Friday 29th August 6pm – 9pm
On Friday 29th August we will be extending the sunflower field opening times to include 6pm to 9pm. The site will be open as usual during this time to come and enjoy the sunflowers and the wonderful Suffolk countryside, including for dogs as described above.
There will be an option to enjoy a BBQ meal, cooked at the sunflower field. Just come along – it’s first come, first served and buy what you want at the time; when it’s gone, it’s gone.
MENU: Beef Burgers, Hot Dogs, Grilled Halloumi & Veggie Burgers, BBQ Pulled Pork, BBQ Pulled Jackfruit and salad boxes.
Gee Gee Bakes will be joining us on this evening, offering sweet treats like cheesecake and crumbles.
Between 5pm (normal closing time) and reopening at 6pm for the evening event, you are welcome to stay at the field, but please be patient as we rearrange the picnic area; you may need to move to accommodate the changes.
Picnics are also welcome in the evening.
Important information
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the picnic area and must be kept on a short lead at all times. There is a separate pathway especially for dogs through the sunflowers, but due to previously having had to clean up too much mess, no dogs are allowed into the main sunflower maze. Please bring and use poop-bags.
We will know better when the sunflower field will open when we see how they are growing.
The sunflower field usually closes about 2-3 weeks after it opens, but the actual date depends on how the flowering season goes.
Cards and Cash are both accepted around the site. Admission and parking are free.
Picnicking is encouraged, with plenty of blanket spots on the grassy area, or use the benches and deckchairs if you prefer.
Catering will be available, offering coffees, snacks, drinks and ice cream, and even ice cream for dogs!
Toilet facilities are available near the entrance of the field, including an accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities.
The field is accessible for wheelchairs and prams, with wide-enough pathways through the sunflowers and wheelchair-friendly picnic benches.
Please be aware: this is a field; the ground is uneven in places and muddy if it has recently rained
Face-painting by the talented Face It Face Painting will be available; £5 per face for ages 3 and above.
Gallery
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Perfect for Picking!
01
At the entrance to the sunflower maze, borrow a pair of secateurs
You are welcome to bring your own secateurs, or borrow a pair from us for a small refundable deposit. The deposit will be deducted from the total cost of the sunflowers you pick, when you return them.
02
If you have a dog with you...
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the picnic area and must be kept on a short lead at all times. There is a separate pathway to take dogs through the sunflowers, but due to previously having had to clean up too much mess, dogs are NOT allowed into the main maze. Please bring and use poop-bags.
03
Wander around the maze
Enter the maze and take your time to enjoy wandering through the beautiful blooms, picking flowers as you go.
Don’t forget to take some pictures and tag us @roughamestate
04
When you are done, head back to the entrance to pay
When you are ready to leave, head to the gazebo where a helpful member of staff will charge you according to how many stems you have cut, deducting the deposit for the secateurs if you borrowed some.
Payment by card is preferable although we will be taking cash.
05
Leave your flowers at the sunflower creche
Leave your flowers in a bucket of water at the sunflower creche while you enjoy some refreshments. Don’t forget to collect them before leaving!
06
Relax, let the children play and have a bite to eat
While you are here, take your time. Relax and let the children run, climb and play. Visit the tasty food area for some refreshment or enjoy your own picnic (no picnics at the evening events).
07
Leaving the sunflower field - Left Turn Only
Please note that the exit road is a left-hand turn only and the signposts will guide you accordingly.
08
Requests for Bulk Picking and Out-of-Hours Visits
We regularly get requests for us to pick a quantity of sunflowers for a special event, or to open the field out-of-hours for certain groups. We’re sorry, but unfortunately we are unable to fulfil these requests.
If you wish to come and pick your own sunflowers during opening times, you are welcome to.
09
Photography
There are plenty of props around the field to help you get some great pictures. If you post your pictures online, tag us @roughamestate on instagram and facebook – we love to see them! For professional photoshoots, please see below.
10
Fire Risk in the Warm Weather - No smoking
Please be aware that the countryside is very dry due to the recent hot weather. Fires can be caused by careless disposal of cigarettes and matches but also by other items which can cause sunlight to be magnified or concentrated.
Please dispose of items in the bins provided and take care when you are at the sunflowers and please refrain from smoking.
Things to Bring
- Secateurs; bring your own or borrow some from us for a small refundable deposit
- Gloves, if you need them; sunflower stems are prickly
- Wellies if it’s rained recently
- Cash or Card; admission and parking are free, but you may like to buy some sunflowers, a coffee or get your child’s face painted. Card is preferred, but cash is accepted
- Picnic and Picnic Blanket, if you like
- Camera for taking pictures; tag us @roughamestate
Tips for Looking After Cut Sunflowers
When you get your cut sunflowers home, here are some tips to help them last for as long as possible:
- Get your sunflowers into water as soon as possible after cutting
- Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle to help with hydration; if possible, cut the stem underwater
- Remove all leaves below the water line; only keep the leaves near the flower
- Fill the vase with warm water up to about 3/4 of the height of the stem
- Top up the water daily, or better, change all the water in the vase daily (do this at least every 3 days)
- Recut the stems after a few days (or do this daily), to help with hydration
- Don’t expose the cut flowers to direct sunlight, heat or draughts
- If the sunflower head is beginning to droop, cut the stem shorter and put the flower in warm water (try adding 2-3 teaspoons of sugar to the water). Another trick is to cut a short length of straight garden wire (4-5cm) and push it through the centre of the flower, into the stem, to give it some support
- Sunflowers like a slightly acidic water solution with sugars for nutrition; try adding a teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of lemon juice (or a tablespoon of vinegar) to the water
Professional Photography and Drone Flights
The sunflowers make wonderful photo backdrops and there are several feature areas for you to create some special captured memories. You are welcome to take photos for purely personal use.
We are happy for professional photographers to use our wonderful sunflower field for photoshoots too, subject to the following conditions.
ALL PHOTOSHOOT LICENSES FOR 2025 ARE NOW BOOKED
For the comfort and safety of all our visitors, and considering the fact that the sunflower field is part of Rougham Estate which is private land:
- all professional, commercial, for-profit, paid-for or “organised” photoshoots require a licence and must be pre-booked and authorised by Rougham Estate (licences/dates are limited in number),
- Rougham Estate must be credited on all professional/commercial images sold or used for social media,
- dates cannot be guaranteed and are subject to change, dependant on factors outside our control, e.g., when the flowers bloom, changes in the weather, etc.,
- unauthorised professional photographers or photoshoots may be asked to leave/stop as determined by Rougham Estate staff.
Drone use is strictly prohibited unless pre-arranged and authorised by Rougham Estate. It should be undertaken during hours when the site is not open to the public, and will incur a fee.
If you are interested in holding a photoshoot or flying a drone at the sunflowers, please contact:
E: events@roughamestate.com
What others say...
Rougham Sunflower and Pumpkin Field, north of A14, Junction 45
Note - this is the postcode for roundabout at Junction 45 on A14. From there follow the signs on the roadside and see the diagram below.
On arriving at the Sunflower and Pumpkin Field you will be directed by a member of staff to park; there is ample parking on grass.
The sunflowers and pumpkins are in the same field as in 2023 and 2024.
The field is just east of Bury St. Edmunds, easily accessible from the A14 and clearly sign-posted from Junction 45.
From the A14 Eastbound Carriageway:
- turn right at the roundabout at the end of the A14 slip road
- go up the north carriageway of Sow Lane
- fully around the roundabout at the top
- back down the south carriageway of Sow Lane
- turn left off Sow Lane into the grass parking.
From the A14 Westbound Carriageway:
- turn left at the end of the A14 slip road
- drive under the bridge
- straight over the first roundabout
- go up the north carriageway of Sow Lane
- fully around the roundabout at the top
- back down the south carriageway of Sow Lane
- turn left off Sow Lane into the grass parking.
The sunflower field opens when the sunflowers start to bloom. We can’t pinpoint the exact date since the flowers respond to the weather we are having at the time. We will put a notification of the opening date on this page and on our social media.
The sunflower field generally stays open for about 2-3 weeks after opening, depending upon the weather. We close the field when the sunflowers are starting to be past their best. We will put a notification of the closing date on this page and on our social media, when we know more.
Sunflowers only bloom for a few weeks a year, and we open the field for those weeks.
There is no entrance fee – the field is free to visit
You don’t need to book to visit the sunflowers, just come along
Yes, there is plenty of free parking in the fields next to the sunflower and pumpkin field
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome in the picnic are of the sunflower field and this year there is a path through the sunflowers where dogs are welcome.
Unfortunately, due to having had to clean up after too many dogs, no dogs are allowed inside the main sunflower maze at all, even if carried.
- Please keep your dog under control at all times and ensure that your dog does not disturb other people’s enjoyment of the premises or block any passageways.
Yes, you can pick the sunflowers at the field and you will be charged according to the prices on this page. Bring your own secateurs and gloves, or use our secateurs for a small deposit.
We prefer cards, but will accept both cards and cash
Yes, there are portaloos at the side of the field near the entrance. There is also a baby-change unit and an accessible toilet.
Wheelchairs are welcome in the sunflower and pumpkin field. There are wood chippings down at the entrance to the sunflower maze, but otherwise the paths are just the earth of the field.
If it has been dry, the earth will be hard and may be uneven in places, but if it has been raining, it could well be muddy.
There is an accessible toilet near the entrance of the field.
Accessible parking is available near the entrance to the field.
Yes, there is a baby-changing unit in one of the portaloos
Yes, the field is fine for buggies and prams, but please note that it is a field and can be uneven in places. If it’s been raining the ground can get muddy.
Yes, we have food and drink vendors at the field. Please see the list above. Please keep an eye on this page and on our social media for any updates.
Yes, there are plenty of picnicking spots. Bring a blanket and a picnic, and enjoy your time here.
Since the evening events are ticketed food events, unfortunately no picnics are allowed after 5pm, when the evening event starts.
If it’s been dry recently, you don’t need any special clothing or footwear to visit the sunflower field. Don’t forget your sunscreen if it’s very sunny since there isn’t much shade at the field. If it’s been raining recently, the ground may be muddy and you may want to consider wearing wellies.
There are plenty of tips on how to keep your sunflowers looking good on this page. The most important thing is to keep them in water as much as you can. We have a sunflower creche of buckets of water for you to use while you are enjoying your time at the field.
If your photos are purely for personal use, you are welcome to take as many pictures as you like. Do tag us @roughamestate if you post them – we love to see them!
If you are a professional photographer or are taking pictures for any for-profit/commercial reason, you are required to get a licence for the photoshoot on our private land and book a time to visit. Please see the details on this page.
Drone photography can only be undertaken at a time when the field is not open to the public. Please get in touch to book a time.
Unfortunately we don’t have the facilities to bulk-pick sunflowers for events. If you would like to come and pick the sunflowers yourself when we are open, you are welcome to.
Unfortunately we are not able to open the field out-of-hours. The field is generally quieter at the beginning of the morning or later in the afternoon and you may find that these times are suitable for your visit.
Face-painting is for children aged 3 and over.
The cosmetics have only been tested for children of this age and above. Applying the paints to children younger than this could cause a lifetime of allergic reactions.
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We are back open tomorrow!
Roots Café will be open from 9am til 4pm daily, and we are offering 10% Off cards for January and February. Pick one up on your first visit to Roots and use it on your next visit (valid only during Jan and Feb).
Also don’t forget to grab a loyalty card and get your 8th coffee free. 🙌
There’s a good excuse to come to Rougham Estate!
Also while you’re here, why don’t you enjoy one of our walks around the Estate? There’s 18 miles of public footpaths and cycling routes to enjoy. There are routes tried and tested on our website or you can enjoy your own! Perfect to burn off some of that Christmas pudding!
We hope to see you soon.
Please note we will be closed 5th January for maintenance.
#BlackthorpeBarn #RoughamEstate #Brunch #SuffolkEats #RootsCafe
We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you to those who have visited us over the festive period. We hope your day is truly magical!
#merrychristmas
Well, that’s it from us this year as we closed the doors for Christmas.
It’s been another fantastic year made possible by our incredible team across the Estate.
Thank you all for your loyalty and custom and making Christmas so magical.
We will be closed on the 24th, 25th and 26th December and look forward to welcoming you all back to Roots cafe on the 27th December.
Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄
#2026 #thatsawrap #thankyou
Still struggling with the last minute Christmas gift?
A Rougham Estate gift voucher is flexible option, perfect for anyone who loves good food, and home and lifestyle treats.
It can be used in the Roots Café or across the Estate shops, from festive finds in the Christmas Shop (for next year) to treats in the Pantry and Garden and Lifestyle Shop.
Valid for 12 months and usable over multiple visits, it’s a gift they can enjoy in their own time.
Purchase here roughamestate.com/welcome - link in profile
#roughamestate #giftvoucher #festivegifting #suffolkdays #shoplocal
If you’re planning a festive visit to Rougham Estate, please note our opening times over Christmas and the New Year.
We’ll be taking a short break on 24th, 25th and 26th December (and the 5th January for essential maintenance).
On all other days, including bank holidays, we’re open from 9am to 4pm.
Whether you’re popping in for a winter walk or a seasonal treat, we look forward to seeing you over the festive period.
The Rougham Estate Shop will be closed from tomorrow, 23rd December until the 6th January when we restock for some very beautiful and desirable lifestyle goodies.
#roughamestate #festiveopening #christmasatrougham #westnorfolk #winterdays lifestyle
It’s nearly time for the big man himself to head down your chimney…
But are you ready?
We still have some items perfect for his mince pie and sherry that will put a smile on his face.
Make his experience magical too!
#christmastime #roughamestate #blackthorpebarn #santasvisit
Earlier this week we featured the Woodland tablescape, if that’s not your style what about the Rococo look?
All items are from the shop and it certainly adds glitz and glamour to your Christmas Day!
#roughamestate #blackthorpebarn #Christmas #shoppingforchristmas
2026 has a lot of exciting things in store…
We will be launching new events throughout the year - starting in January.
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