Five UK Pumpkin Patches You Need to Visit This Autumn
Five UK Pumpkin Patches You Need to Visit This Autumn (Plus Tips and Tricks to Pick the Best Pumpkin!)
Spooky season is well and truly upon us! If you’re one of the 43 per cent of Brits who enjoy celebrating Halloween in one way or another, you might be considering a visit to a pumpkin patch this year.
Carving pumpkins has been an admired activity in the United Kingdom since the 1990s, and now we’re seeing an influx of people who want to pick their own pumpkins to sculpt. You’ve probably noticed more and more people sharing images of their pumpkin patch visits on Facebook and Instagram, right?
While you can purchase a pumpkin from your local supermarket, there’s nothing quite like picking your own during a family day out in the great outdoors. If you’d like to get involved this year and you’re not sure where to go, we’ve put together a list of five fa-boo-lous pumpkin patches across the UK.
- Mr Pumpkin, Derby
If you’re local to Derby or fancy a trip to the East Midlands, you should take the family to the Mr Pumpkin farm in Morley. With an impressive 4.8 rating based on 218 Google reviews, you can feel confident that the whole family will have a memorable day picking pumpkins.
What started as 7,500 pumpkins in 2017 has grown to an incredible 90,000 in 2022! You’ll be spoilt for choice, especially considering Mr Pumpkin also offers over 40 different pumpkin varieties to choose from. Book your tickets here and get ready for the ultimate autumn experience!
- Piglets Adventure Farm, Kent
In Southern England lies Piglets Adventure Farm, a homegrown pumpkin patch that offers fang-tastic entertainment that’ll impress all the guys and ghouls in your family. You can expect mysterious mazes, spectacular shows, indoor and outdoor fun, and even a free pumpkin to walk away with!
A full day dedicated to spending time with your loved ones in the open, what more could you want? For an unrivalled day out, make sure you’re wearing comfy shoes and have a backpack filled with supplies such as snacks, bottled water, and wet wipes in case anyone gets a little muddy. Tickets start from just £10.95 and can be purchased here.
- Kilduff Farm, East Lothian
This Scottish farm first opened the gates to its pumpkin patch in 2017, and since then has delighted countless people with the ultimate family experience. “Such a fun day out”, “Huge fun!”, and “Brilliant day out!” are just some of the positive comments people have left on Kildfull Farm’s Google review section. This could be your sign to go and see for yourself!
The lovely people behind the farm were initially driven by their desire to connect children with rural areas and encourage them to explore the benefits of spending time in the open air, as well as see where food comes from and how it’s grown. Now they have a very successful pumpkin patch that’s enjoyed by many. Buy tickets for the whole family and join them for their fifth annual pumpkin festival.
- Hall Hill Farm, County Durham
If you want to take your pumpkin-picking activity to the next level, visit Hall Hill Farm in County Durham and take advantage of their additional spooktacular events! Not only can you wander through the patch to find the best pumpkin for your sculpting goals, but you can also enjoy their haunted Sheep Race, Mini Monster Maze, and Trick or Treat treasure hunt.
Spending time as a family is so incredibly important, and a Halloween activity is a fantastic opportunity to do exactly that! This event runs from October 15 to October 30 and will be a ticket-only event, so secure yours quickly to avoid disappointment.
- Picking Patch, Cardiff
Those in Wales can visit the Picking Patch in Cardiff to choose from 20 pumpkin varieties. Nope, that’s not a trick, we promise it’s a treat! To make matters even better, Picking Patch offers free parking, free entry (you only pay for what you pick), and there are no booking requirements.
Simply rock up with your family on a day that suits you, grab a wheelbarrow, and explore 10 acres of prized pumpkins. It tends to be quite cold in Cardiff during October, so ensure everyone is wrapped up warm and wearing comfortable, appropriate shoes, like wellies. Does this sound up your (Nightmare on Elm) street? Click here to visit their website and find out more.
How to pick the best pumpkin
Not everything is a competition. The act of pumpkin picking is a joyous one and will create meaningful memories for the whole family. But...if you do want to introduce some healthy competition into the activity (think of the Instagram pictures!), you need to know how to pick the best of the best.
Identify the ones with green stems – Your chosen pumpkin’s stem can tell you a lot about the freshness of the fruit, which is why you should look for the ones that have a strong, dark green stem. A soft or loose stem could be a sign that the pumpkin is prone to rotting.
Find a flat bottom – If your goal is to choose the perfect pumpkin to carve and wow party guests or trick-or-treaters, you’re going to want to make sure that it has a flat bottom. Pumpkins with an uneven bottom will be difficult to stand upright, which means they may keep toppling over when on display.
Forget about any bumps – Who cares about smooth when the end goal is to groove? When searching for the best pumpkin, don’t set your sights purely on those with smooth surfaces. Bumps will not impact the carving process and can instead add to the spooky effect.
Test if it’s hollow – Test if a pumpkin is hollow by placing your ear next to the pumpkin and knocking on its side with your knuckles. If you hear an echo, this is a sign that the pumpkin is hollow and therefore a great one to pick!
Check the firmness – The best pumpkin for harvesting will have a leathery, firm skin. To check the firmness, gently poke the middle of your pumpkin’s body with your index finger and see if the skin either springs right back or doesn’t budge at all. Either of these outcomes is a positive sign.
Lift your spirits this Halloween
Pumpkin picking is a fun activity that you can do with the whole family, regardless of age and interests. Not only is it very on-trend and appropriate to the season, but it also offers a great opportunity to get your body moving in the great outdoors. We hope you have the best time picking and then carving your pumpkins. Happy Halloween!
Sources
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/three-quarters-britons-expect-halloween-go-ahead-normal-year
https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/history-of-the-halloween-pumpkin-plus-recipes-ideas/
https://mrpumpkin.merlintickets.co.uk/product/MRPUMPKIN2022
https://pigletsadventurefarm.digitickets.co.uk/tickets?branches.branchID=348
https://www.kilduff.co.uk/product-category/the-patch/
http://hallhillfarm.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
https://pickingpatch.com/pick-your-own-pumpkins/cardiff/
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/how-to-pick-the-best-pumpkin/
Article credit - https://www.cathkidston.com/
