From pick-your-own fields and SEN-friendly events to festivals, parades and late-night antics all dedicated to October’s most sought-after squash, here’s where to go to get your pumpkin fix before 31 October.
Those travelling from London can expect to spend an hour or so heading out to the countryside to see fields laden with pumpkins — many will have an array of varieties and colours on display. Whether you’re looking for family fun or Halloween thrills, these farms in England’s southeast are pulling out all the stops to attract visitors and, luckily, this autumnal pursuit is more popular than ever.
Partake in pumpkin picking, shopping and frivolity in Surrey
Crockford Bridge Farm claims to be one of Surrey’s largest growers of pumpkins. Taking up to an hour and a half to reach by train or car from London, you can visit any day from 4-19 October but the events calendar varies from week to week. Booking is essential and costs (£6 plus booking fee) per entry. Then, from 25-31 October is the Pumpkin Festival (£14 plus booking fee). The festival promises a Willy Wonka-themed adventure with theatre, circus, fairground games and interactive activities and, of course, plenty of pumpkins.
Take your pick of the biggest pumpkin patches in Essex
With two pumpkin patches to choose from — one in Basildon (an hour-and-a-half drive from London) and the other in Colchester (around two hours away) — both promising plenty of varieties to choose from, Foxes Farms will be open to visitors on various dates from 4-31 October and entry starts from £7, including a free edible munchkin pumpkin. Both locations will have photo opportunities galore and plenty of activities once pumpkin picking has concluded — face painting, a trailer ride and a bouncy castle. Colchester will also have Pumpkin Patch Nights that include a Halloween corn trail with roaming actors.
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Visit a more traditional pumpkin patch in Kent
Head to Stanhill Farm in Dartford, where you can fill a wheelbarrow with as many pumpkins as you like for just £37 — as long as you can balance them and push them. You can, of course, also buy pumpkins individually. Open to visitors on selected dates between 4-30 October. Pre-booking is required, and entry is £6 per ticket (plus booking fee). The 150-acre farm, managed by brothers Toby and Max Williams, takes just over an hour by car or train from London. You’ll find a café, picnic area and farm shop full of freshly grown and locally sourced produce to explore once you’ve picked your pumpkins.
Enjoy a Halloween-themed pumpkin patch in Hertfordshire
Offering daytime and night-time antics as well as special educational needs (SEN) sessions, Cammas Hall Farm in Hertfordshire has something for everyone from 14-31 October. Daytime festivities include a pumpkin patch (from £6.95), boasting 50 varieties alongside enchanting Halloween characters, a Terror Tunnel for the “bravest visitors” and a Wicked Walkway to explore. The farm has also promised that this year, it’s pulling out all the stops for photo opportunities, so those looking for the perfect pumpkin backdrop will likely be happy here. SEN sessions (£8.95) will take place on 27 October at 9am, when the patch will be quieter. The six-acre, dinosaur-themed Cammas Hall Maize Maze (£4.80-£6) is also a big draw for those wanting extra entertainment.
Join a pumpkin parade in Surrey
Garsons Farm, roughly an hour and a half from London, has moved thousands of pumpkins from its fields to a specially curated Pumpkin Parade, open on selected dates from 4-31 October. The pumpkin-laden trail takes you across land and through tunnels with Insta-worthy displays and pumpkins to choose from along the way — finishing at what Garsons describes as an ‘orange sea’. Visitors will need to prebook a farm entry pass (£6 per person).
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A taste of luxury pumpkin picking in Welwyn
For those who don’t drive, Tewinbury is only a 30-minute train from London King’s Cross. The luxury farm hotel is opening its doors from 29 October to 1 November, where visitors can wander the fields, pick a pumpkin and enjoy the street-food trucks and bar serving autumn cocktails and hot drinks. Tickets are £8 and pumpkins start from just £2.
Explore Malice in Lavenderland in Epsom
Unlike the name suggests, this Lavender field in Epsom transforms into a Halloween wonderland in winter — complete with a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Open from 4-31 October, the rows of vibrant lavender at Mayfield London are still in bloom, so visitors can wander through and take pictures before choosing from thousands of pumpkins to take home. The seasonally decorated Glasshouse Cafe also has plenty of autumnal treats to choose from. Tickets are £5 (plus booking fee).
Feature image: Pexels
