A lavender field in Ickleford has become a beacon for Chinese tourists who are keen to pose for wedding photos.

Hitchin Lavender, at Cadwell Farm off Arlesey Road, has seen an influx of visitors from China and Japan who hope to recreate wedding shots with the stunning natural beauty of the farm as a backdrop.

It’s estimated around 30 holidaymakers a day from the Far East flock to the farm to take snaps in the evocative surroundings – before sharing on social media platforms including Instagram and Twitter.

The interest stems from the farm featuring prominently to millions in the Chinese equivalent of TripAdvisor.

The couples recreate wedding shots with the purple lavender as a backdrop during high summer as the colour is believed to aid prosperity.

Tim Hunter, whose family has farmed the area for more than 100 years, said: “It’s a common occurrence to see people wearing wedding dresses with the lavender as the backdrop.

“A lot of our visitors arrive with suitcases. I thought people had come straight from the airport, but then we realised the cases held wedding dresses to change into.

“As a family-run business we’re delighted we’ve so many visitors from near and far. Our Asian visitors have spiralled over the last few years, and we’re happy they leave here after a positive experience – we thank them for coming and long may it continue.

“We’re fortunate our product is our backdrop and we’re seen as a quintessentially English experience.”

Another traditional British aspect many of the Asian visitors look to savour is fish and chips.

Nicola Kevans, landlady of the nearby Old George pub, has seen a large spike in tourists in search of the meal most associated with this country. She explained: “We seem to be on a bucket list. We get a lot of Chinese and Japanese tourists coming into the pub and specifically asking for fish and chips or ham and eggs. Many take pictures of their ham and eggs and then post it on social media.

“They used to come on bikes – which caused mayhem after they left, as many were loaded up with bags of lavender.

“Many now hire taxis from London to visit the lavender and enjoy sampling a traditional English pub. It’s great but it was a bit bizarre to start with.”

For more on Hitchin Lavender visit www.hitchinlavender.com and search Hitchin Lavender on Facebook.

See the website of The Old George for opening times and menu https://theoldgeorgeickleford.com or their Facebook page The Old George.