Residents in Sittingbourne, Kent, can now reserve places for Brogdale Farm’s 2026 Blossom Tours. Brogdale Collections has published Blossom Tour dates for 2026 on its website: 28–29 March and the weekends of 18–19 and 25–26 April, with tour times shown on the bookings page. Brogdale is also running Easter holiday activities (3–5 April) and a Hanami blossom day (11 April) as part of its spring programme.
The timing this year is attracting extra interest because researchers and organisers expect the peak blossom window to fall close to the Easter bank holiday (Good Friday–Easter Monday, 3–6 April 2026), which could push up visitor numbers. However, readers should note that the public Blossom Tour weekends are the specific dates above, and the intensity and precise timing of peak bloom remain weather-dependent.
Brogdale Collections — the charity that organises public access to the National Fruit Collection — is offering guided walking tours and tractor-trailer rides during the blossom season. The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale is widely described as one of the world’s largest collections of temperate fruit varieties; the collection is usually cited as containing around 3,500 named apple, pear, plum, cherry, vine and cobnut cultivars (some sources round the wider holdings to about 4,000). Tours give visitors close-up views of cherries, apples, pears, plums and other fruit trees, with expert guides describing the history and cultivation of the varieties on display.
Visit Swale has promoted Brogdale as a spring highlight for the district’s tourism programme. To manage demand, Brogdale uses reserved tour places and advises visitors to book in advance; the Blossom Tours page notes that places should be reserved due to demand and that walk-ups may not be possible.
Brogdale’s visitor information also confirms provisions for accessibility: guided tours and tractor trailers are set up to accommodate wheelchair users (there is an allocated wheelchair space on the tractor trailer), and Brogdale has been working to improve access around the site. Visitors with specific mobility needs should check Brogdale’s planning-your-visit page or contact the charity before travelling.
The National Fruit Collection has been sited at Brogdale since the early 1950s and serves as a living library for researchers, plant breeders and farmers. Brogdale’s booking information clarifies entry costs: Blossom Tour places are free for Orchard Pass holders (who should reserve a place and present their pass on arrival). Non-pass visitors must buy an Orchard Pass or a Day Ticket to join a guided Blossom Tour.
Because blossom timing depends on weather, Brogdale recommends checking its website for updates and booking early if you plan to visit during the spring peak or the Easter bank holiday period.
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