Where to pick your own pumpkins this autumn
There’s something special about picking your own pumpkin on a crisp autumn day. Pumpkin patches have become hugely popular. Farms across the country are planting a wide variety of squashes, gourds and traditional orange pumpkins. Some pumpkin patches are small – a field or two on a working farm. Others offer a full day out, offering carving stations, spooky mazes and tractor rides, plus photo backdrops (did you even pick that decorative gourd if you didn’t Instagram it?)
Here is a directory of some of the best ‘pick your own pumpkin’ locations across the UK. Many are bookable in advance. Grab your wellies and make a visit to a pumpkin patch near you this autumn.
Katy Salter
The best pumpkin patches in Scotland
Craigies Farm, South Queensferry, Edinburgh
What’s on offer: Seven varieties of squash and pumpkins in different colours, including Crown Prince, Snowman and Polar Bear. Buy an online entry voucher ahead of your visit.
Open: Everyday during October, 9am-5pm
Also has: Kids’ adventure fun park, café and shop
0131 319 1048
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Cairnie Fruit Farm, Cupar, Fife
What’s on offer: The fields will be full of 22,000 pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. There’s also a Halloween torch-light maze.
Open: Everyday during pumpkin season, 10am-5pm
Also has: Kids’ fun yard, café and shop
01334 655610
The best pumpkin patches in the North East of England
Spilmans, Sessay, North Yorkshire
What’s on offer: 80,000 pumpkins, squashes and gourds in different colours. Activities include a carving barn, corn cannon, fairground rides, tractor rides and pumpkin sling shot.
Open: Weekends from 2nd Oct, everyday 23rd-31st Oct, 9am-3.30pm. Advance booking essential.
Also has: Shop and café
07754 857284
East Grange Farm, Durham
What’s on offer: Plenty of pumpkin varieties for picking on an 8-acre farm.
Open: Hours still TBC. Check the farm’s Facebook page for updates.
0191 3842718
The best pumpkin patches in the North West of England
Kenyon Hall, Croft, Warrington
What’s on offer: Large pumpkin patch with more than 15,000 pumpkins. Pumpkin-themed photo backdrops.
Open: Everyday during October, 9.15am-4pm
Also has: Shop, café, plant centre and play area
01925 765531
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Windmill Animal Farm, Burscough, Lancashire
What’s on offer: 20,000 pumpkins ready for picking. Tickets also include admission into the animal farm.
Open: 9th-31st October, 10am-5pm
Also has: Playground, animal farm, café and picnic area
01704 892282
The best pumpkin patches in the East of England and Midlands
Pumpkins R Us, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
What’s on offer: Cavernous barn with thousands of ready-picked pumpkins and squash in different colours. Pumpkin and Halloween-themed photo backdrops.
Open: 10th-31st October, 10am-8pm
Also has: Café and Halloween shop
Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffordshire
What’s on offer: 80,000 pumpkins spread out over 12 acres of fields. There’s also a pumpkin carving tent, photo booth and homemade pumpkin soup from the farm’s own harvest.
Open: Weekends from 2nd-3rd October, then everyday from 18th-31st October, 10am-5.30pm
Also has: Kids’ adventure farm with indoor and outdoor play areas, food stalls.
01785 907440
Mr Pumpkin, Morley, Derbyshire
What’s on offer: 90,000 pumpkins of various shapes, sizes and colours. There are 40 varieties to choose from. There’s also a pumpkin trail, mini fairground and bouncy castle.
Open: 3rd October, 9th-10th October, 16th-31st October, 9-5pm on weekends and 10am-4pm on weekdays
Also has: Food and drink stalls.
07967 362215
The best pumpkin patches in London and the South East of England
Pumpkin Moon, Maidstone, Rainham and Bapchild, Kent
What’s on offer: Three farms with 80 different pumpkin varieties.
Open: 9th-10th October, 16th-17th October, 22-31st October, 10am-4pm
Also has: Food and drink stalls
07860 756147
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Tulley’s Farm, Cupar, West Sussex
What’s on offer: 20 acres of fields, with a whopping 150,000 pumpkins, squashes and gourds.
Open: Weekends from 18th September, 15th October, then daily from 20th-21st October, 10am-5.30pm
Also has: Themed photo backdrops, food and drink stalls, ‘Pumpkin Nights’ evening sessions.
01342 718472
The best pumpkin patches in Eastern England
Foxes Farm, Basildon and Colchester, Essex
What’s on offer: Two pumpkin patches in Essex. The farmers recommend you visit early this year, as unpredictable weather and demand means they can’t guarantee pumpkins right up to Halloween.
Open: Weekends from 25-26th September, everyday from 18th-31st October, 9am-4pm
Also has: Themed photo backdrops, food stall.
01206 481983
Undley Farm, Lakenheath, Suffolk
What’s on offer: Long-running pumpkin patch on a family farm, with 25 pumpkin varieties and 36 types of gourds to pick, many straight from the vine.
Open: Weekends from 2nd-3rd October, everyday from 25th-31st October, 10am-5pm
Also has: Maize maze, craft stalls, face painting, giant inflatables, food and drink stalls.
The best pumpkin patches in the South West of England
Trevaskis Farm, Hayle, Cornwall
What’s on offer: Popular pick-your-own farm, which has fields of pumpkins to pick in October, as well as other seasonal fruit such as apples.
Open: Everyday, 10am-5pm
Also has: Farm park, restaurant, farm shop
01209 713931
Dorset Country Pumpkins, Blandford Forum, Dorset
What’s on offer: Family farm where all the pumpkins are sown by hand. Orange and white pumpkins in different sizes available for picking.
Open: Check the farm’s Facebook page for 2021 opening times
The best pumpkin patches in Wales
Powells Farm, New Radnor, Powys
What’s on offer: Smallish, family-run pumpkin patch but with a good range of varieties, ranging from the diminutive Jill Be Little to the (self-explanatory) Atlantic Giant.
Open: Weekends from 2nd-3rd October, everyday from 25th-31st October, 10am-4pm (depending on availability)
Also has: Socially-distanced pumpkin carving stations. Giant pumpkin letters.
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Pencoed Fach Farm, Blackwood, South Wales
What’s on offer: Working organic farm with a pumpkin patch. Spot the farm’s sheep, goat’s and chickens in neighbouring fields and snap some pics by the photo displays.
Open: July-August, everyday 10am-7pm
Also has: Food stalls during half term. Flamin’ Joe’s barbecue restaurant is located on the farm.
The best pumpkin patches in Northern Ireland
Streamvale Open Farm, Belfast
What’s on offer: Popular pumpkin patch on an open farm near Belfast with lots of family-friendly extras, including mini wheelbarrows for kids and a carving station.
Open: 16th-31st October, morning sessions 9.30am-12.30pm, afternoon sessions 1.15pm-4.15pm (advance booking)
Also has: Tractor and barrel rides, spooky trail, sniffer pups, play areas, refreshments.
02890 483244
Fulton’s Pumpkin Patch, Artigarvan, County Tyrone
What’s on offer: Pumpkin patch on a family-run sheep and dairy farm.
Open: 16th-30th October, 10am-4.30pm
Also has: Spooky corn maze, themed photo back drops.
07817 593357
