The trend for Pumpkin Picking has made its way across the pond from America, becoming more and more popular in the UK each year.
And no wonder we love it – pumpkin picking is a really wholesome and fun activity to do with children of all ages.
Often set on beautiful farms, there’s usually a great play area and a lovely cafe to keep the whole family entertained all day.
At BabyBreaks we have researched and listed our favourite places for Pumpkin Picking near London so you can celebrate Halloween 🎃 properly.
So all you need to do is grab your wellies and wheelbarrow, and off you go!
Top Tips before picking pumpkin at the Farm
- Make sure you wear comfortable clothes and also wellies or suitable sport shoes as pumpkin patches can be muddy, especially on a rainy day
- If you plan your PYO visit quite in advance of Halloween day, try to pick firm pumpkins so they don’t come mushy and soft a few weeks later…and impossible to carve as well
- Usually, farms have adult and child wheelbarrows that you can borrow to collect your pumpkins. So check on their website beforehand. If not, bring a strong big bag like those blue Ikea bags to hold enough pumpkins
- Don’t forget to bring your camera or fully charged smart phone as there will be lots of pictures opportunities to grab during your pumpkin picking session
- A few farms organises pumpkin picking sessions in the evening to make the event more spooky during Halloween season. It also means less crowded and more opportunities to secure your PYO pumpkin slot!
- And finally, book your PYO pumpkin session far in advance. We have already seen some sold out days in a few farms, especially a few days before Halloween
1. Tulleys Pumpkin Farm
This Pick Your Own (PYO) pumpkin farm is located in Crawley and has over 20 acres of pumpkins waiting for your family to choose yours to take home. Children will love this farm and will beg you to stay for sure.
Make sure to pre-book your day where you will choose your pumpkin.
When: The PYO sessions will be open from Saturday 28th September 2024 until Thursday 31st October 2024
Where: Unit 1 Turners Hill Rd, Crawley RH10 4PE
Price: Day entry starts at £7 per child/adult and Children under 2 go free
2. Willows Activity Farm
This award-winning farm located North of London in St Albans offers a whole host of activities, aside from pumpkin picking. With over 300 farm animals and over 40 activities, this is a great day out, catering to a wide range of ages.
There’s an Indoor Farmyard with animal feeding and petting, soft play, a Peter Rabbit Adventure Playground and much more.
Their Pumpkin themed activities include Pick Your Own and a Carving Cavern with arts and crafts activities. Lastly, there’s a prize for the best carved pumpkin each day, so let your creative flair run wild!
When: From 19th October 2024 until 31st October 2024.
Where: Coursers Rd, St Albans AL4 0PF
Price: Festival entry ticket starts at £19.95 per child/adult (early bird tickets) + £0.5 booking fee and Children under 2 go free
3. Cammas Hall Farm
With over 40 varieties of pumpkin and squash, Cammas Hall Farm makes a great day out for families to pick and choose their own pumpkin to eat or decorate their home ready for Halloween festivities.
Expect to meet friendly Halloween characters with plenty of photos opportunities to take with the family in these beautiful pumpkin patches.
When: PYO sessions start on 5 October 2024 until 31 October 2024.
Where: Cammas Hall Farm Needham Green, Hatfield Broad Oak CM22 7JT
Price: Entry tickets start at £5 + £0.5 booking fee + children under 2 go free
4. Foxes Farm
Foxes Farm is predominantly are pumpkins wholesalers which produce thousands of pumpkins every year and work a lot with supermarkets or retailers. However, pumpkin patches are open to the public with limited availability due to the Covid-19 situation.
Make sure you pre-book your PYO session at either Basildon or Colchester farms. There are also some great educational videos for kids to learn how to grow and harvest pumpkins.
When: PYO pumpkin sessions start on the 5th October 2024 and finish on the 1st November 2024. Not every day is open so check their website for pumpkin patch dates
Where: Watch House Farm, Wash Rd, Basildon SS15 4ER
Price: entry tickets start at £4.50 per adult/child (less if you are a family/group of 4 people)
5. Hewitts Farm
This 78 acres farm has been growing fruits and vegetables through multi generations. You can pick your own pumpkin usually from the beginning of October but make sure to check their website to see any updates on where they are ready. No booking required.
When: From 1st October 2024
Where: Court Rd, Chelsfield, Orpington BR6 9BX
Price: Access to the farm is free and pre-booking is required
6. Stanhill Farm
Stanhill Farm has been nurturing their pumpkin patch for nearly a decade now. This small family business farm has also a lovely farm shop where you can find local meats, fruits and vegetables, spice blends and even Scotch Eggs.
When: From 5th October 2024 until 29th October 2024 (the farm may release last availability for the last 2 days of October)
Where: Stanhill Farm, Birchwood Road, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent, DA2 7HD
Price: £5 per car
7. Four Winds Farm
This farm is operated by Pierson Agriculture and organises a Pick Your Own pumpkin event every year the last week of October. You would need to book your tickets in advance. Be quick as the event is usually sold out days before the event starts.
You will find some teas and cakes, some facepainting, scarecrow hunt and more activities to be announced for 2023.
When: 19th, 20th & 26th until 31st October 2024
Where: Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0LL
Price: £2 (+75p booking fee) per vehicle entry for all passengers Pumpkin price start at £2.50
CONCLUSION
I hope you have found this guide on where to find the best pumpkin picking farms close to London.
Halloween season is upon us and I can’t believe we are only a few months from now to go and enjoy the fun of visiting pumpkin patches.
Last time we paid a visit to a farm to chose our pumpkins was in 2020 where we spent half term October in Herefordshire and my kids loved the experience. You can even see them wearing a face mask with no one around. Strange times to say the least!
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