The UK’s best pick your own pumpkin farms

With Halloween just around the corner, October is the month when pumpkins are at their most popular. Whether you are looking to carve a scary face into one or use the flesh for some autumnal soup, the best way to get the perfect pumpkin is by picking your own.    

Picking your own fruit, vegetables and flowers has never been more popular -  in fact data from Google Trends shows that search volume for pick your own pumpkins has doubled in the last 5 years. After all what better way is there to ensure your produce is fresh from the ground than by getting it straight from the farm it was grown in? 

There are PYO farms throughout the UK, including some right here in Norfolk, and Kett Country Cottages have rated each one for things like price, popularity, things to do, whether there is an entrance fee and the number of varieties available to crown the country's best places to pick pumpkins this year.

The UK's top 20 places to pick your own pumpkin

1. Cattow's Farm, Leicestershire
2. Farmer Copley's, Yorkshire
3. Mr Pumpkin, Derbyshire
4. Kenyon Hall Farm, Cheshire
5. Undley Pumpkins, Suffolk
6. Maxeys Farm Shop, Nottinghamshire
7. Garsons Farm, Surrey
8. Farrington's Farm, Gloucestershire
9. Sopley Farm PYO, Dorset
10. Cairnie Fruit Farm, Fife
11. Crockford Bridge, Surrey
12. Canalside Farm, Staffordshire
13. Brockbushes Fruit Farm, Northumberland
14. Algys Farm Shop, Norfolk
15. Craigie's Farm, Edinburgh
16. Stanhill Farm, Kent
17. Foxes Farm Produce, Essex
18. Tulley's Pumpkins, West Sussex
19. Bellis Brothers, Wrexham
20. Secretts Farm, Surrey

Visit a PYO pumpkin patch for Halloween

Each month of the year comes and October is the time to pick your own pumpkins for Halloween. Many PYO pumpkin farms now also offer a range of on-site activities and have a variety of pumpkin types and sizes to choose from.

Research also revealed that 56% of pick your own pumpkin patches come with a farm shop and 78% have food available on-site. The most common additional activity is a maze, the average starting price of a pumpkin is £1.62 and the average entry fee comes in just under £2 at £1.88.

1. Cattows Farm, Leicestershire

Cattows Farm in Leicestershire has been around since 1899 and offers a full Halloween experience with a maze, funfair and live music to go along with their pumpkin picking. Over 200,000 pumpkins and 40 varieties are available to pick and there’s also an on-site farm shop and cafe.

Address: Cattows Farm, Normanton Lane,  Leicestershire, LE67 2TD 

2. Farmer Copleys, Yorkshire

Farmer Copleys is a family-run farm shop in Pontefract that runs annual pumpkin picking experiences each October to go along with their cafe and maize maze. Family-friendly activities include tractor rides, bird of prey shows and vintage fairground rides.

Address: Ravensknowle Farm, Pontefract Road, Pontefract, Yorkshire, WF7 5AF

3. Mr Pumpkin, Derbyshire  

You can choose from 40 different varieties of pumpkins at Mr Pumpkin, a fourth generation arable farm near Derby. A bouncy castle, funfair and pumpkin trail are among the things to keep little ones happy during your pumpkin picking experience.  

Address: Lime Farm, Mansfield Farm, Derby, DE7 6JU

4. Kenyon Hall Farm, Cheshire

This historic Warrington farm has a selection of PYO fruit and vegetable fields along with a farm shop and cafe and has been owned by the same family since 1500. Pumpkins have been grown at Kenyon Hall Farm for the past 30 years and there’s an indoor selection of ready-picked ones if you don’t fancy getting muddy in the fields.

Address: Winwick Lane, Croft, Warrington, WA3 7ED

5. Undley Pumpkin Patch, Suffolk

Home to a large maize maze which has been given a special Halloween makeover for October, Undley Pumpkin Patch is home to 25 varieties of pumpkins and a whopping 26 different types of gourds which can be picked directly from the vine. Other attractions at the farm site include giant inflatables, craft stalls and a straw bale pyramid.

Address: Undley Farm, Undley Road, Beck Row, IP28 8BX

6. Maxeys Farm Shop, Nottinghamshire

Pumpkins at Maxey’s Farm are homegrown directly from the seed and maps help to direct visitors around the squashes and various sizes of pumpkins available. Spooky woodland walks will help to get you in the mood for Halloween and you can also pick up pumpkins at Maxey’s wonderful on-site farm shop.

Address: Maxeys Farm Shop, Hockerton Road, Nottinghamshire, NG22 8PB

7. Garsons Farm Surrey

This huge 155-acre PYO farm in Surrey is celebrating its 150-year anniversary in 2021 and apples, cabbages, dahlias, beetroot and cauliflowers are just some of the things you can pick alongside the pumpkins. Along with the pick your own fields at Garsons, there’s also an on-site garden centre and farm shop.

Address: Garsons, Winterdown Road, Esher, KT10 8LS

8. Farrington’s Farm, Gloucestershire

The pumpkin picking festival at Farringtons features around 100,000 pumpkins in a 12-acre patch. There’s also an on-site carving marquee where you can create your pumpkin masterpieces for Halloween and avoid the mess of doing this at home.

Address: Farrington’s Farm Shop, Farrington Gurney, Bristol, BS39 6UB

9. Sopley Farm PYO, Dorset

This idyllic farm is located in a wooded area at the edge of the New Forest and grows around 20 varieties of pick your own fruit and vegetables including lots and lots of pumpkins. There’s no entrance fee at Sopley Farm and it’s a great choice for a tranquil pumpkin picking experience.

Address: Sopley Farm, Sopley, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7AZ

10. Cairnie Fruit Farm, Fife

This large farm in Scotland features 45 acres of PYO fruit, vegetable and flowers and a kids funyard and mega maize maze makes Cairnie Fruit Farm a fun day out for the whole family. Pumpkins have been grown here for 22 years and there are lots of colourful varieties that are just right for carving.

Address: Cairnie Farm, Cupar, Fife, KY15 4QD   

PYO pumpkins in Norfolk

If you fancy visiting a Norfolk pumpkin patch this year, we recommend visiting Algys Farm Shop in Dereham which took 14th place in our top 20 countdown. There's no need to book you can just turn up at the farm and you'll find an array of pumpkins to choose from ranging from tiny to enormous. Pre-bookable floodlit pumpkin picking is also available from the 22nd - 30th October and on-site refreshments include burgers, pizza and hot dogs. 

Address: Algys Farm, Bintree, Dereham, NR20 5PW

Other options in Norfolk include:

• The Tacons
• Wroxham Barns
• Whitehouse Farm

If you fancy sampling some of the wonderful array of fresh produce available in Norfolk including strawberries, blackberries, lavender, sweet peas and plums, you'll find a great selection of countryside cottages for a short break or holiday.