Photographing your kids amongst pumpkins as well as picking your own pumpkins have become so popular in recent years that people are willing to travel some distance to find them. Here is a list of places we have found so far that you can visit in 2017. What I have discovered is there’s a great degree of variety – some places may simply be shops, others are traditional pick your farms, some pumpkins can literally be picked, others it’s a case of ‘choosing’ rather than ‘picking’ your pumpkin, some may be wholesalers of pumpkins, and some places may be more of a day out which incorporates pick your own – so charges will vary greatly. Do check opening times and pumpkin availability before travelling. I’m sure there are loads more places. – these are just the highlights and feature some excellent blogger reviews from last year so you can read about what they’re like. If you know of others do email me your information and pictures to laura@miltonkeyneskids.com or message me through facebook. EDIT – Please note, if you’re reading this article towards the end of October 2017 it’s likely that many of the places featured may have sold out of pumpkins so please do not visit before checking availability.

If you’re looking for things to do with the kids in and around Milton Keynes do check out my Ultimate guide to Halloween events 2017 blog post.

Bedfordshire

Grove Farm – A traditional pick your own farm where you can pick seasonal fruit and vegetables. According to the info on their website you can pick your own pumpkin at Grove Farm although we’ve been and not quite sure where they are so probably not the best place if you’re looking for fields of pumpkins for good pictures.Those we did see for sale at the front of the farm were green not orange. Timings are approximate so best to call ahead to check availability. Great Gap Ivinghoe Leighton Buzzard LU7 9DZ. Worth a last minute visit just to pick other vegetables including cabbages. EDIT – NOW CLOSED UNTIL JUNE 2018 – read all about our visit here.

Buckinghamshire

Farmer Paul’s Pumpkins – Bear in mind this is ‘Pick your own’ from the farm barn rather than from the farm field. It’s apparently because it prolongs the pumpkins’ life so they store better and don’t go rotten which is a big problem with lots of pick your own farms. They also need to clear the field to get it ploughed ready for next crop. Range from 50p for tiny ones to £8 for monster ones. Happy for you to take photos and they’re creating a special display. Pumpkins may be available from the second week of October but the date is still TBC. Weedon Hill Farm off the Buckingham Road, HP22 4DP, just outside of the town of Aylesbury. Cash only. Lots of parking apparently. EDIT – NOW CLOSED.

Farmer Paul's pumpkins

Pumpkin farm, Chesham – Choose your own pumpkin but not from the field, they’re in a retail area. Apparently many people do take pictures of their kids with the pumpkins and they have straw bales surrounded with pumpkins which people tend to sit on for photo purposes. They have giant pumpkins and other varieties like crown prince, Queensland blue and onion squash, plus teeny munchkin pumpkins and decorative gourds.Christmas Tree Farm, Amersham Road, Chesham. HP5 1NE.

Pumpkin farm, Chesham

Cambridgeshire

Hill Farm, Peterborough – traditional pick your own farm with a children’s play area. Open every day apart from Mondays. Do phone ahead to check the availability of pumpkins before you go. Last year they had a pumpkin trail as well. Oundle Road, Chesterton, Peterborough, Cambs, PE7 3UA. If you want to know more then read this excellent review from 2016 by Jaymee who blogs at The Mum Diaries.

Hill Farm, Peterborough
Hill Farm, Peterborough

Dorset

Cat and the Fiddle Farm, Christchurch – pick your own pumpkins and they’re also holding a pumpkin party on 28th / 29th Oct. BH23 7AZ. We loved reading this review about pick your own from 2016 by Sarah who blogs at Digital Motherhood.

Cat and the Fiddle Farm

Essex

Pick your own pumpkins at Foxes Farm Produce – two locations at Colchester CO6 3PR and Basildon SS15 43ER. This looks like it’s one of the biggest places you could go to for pumpkins as they supply many of the shops. There are thousands of pumpkins to choose from and you can apparently picnic amongst the pumpkins. No entrance fee. But you must check they’re open before travelling – the website says sometimes if it’s been too wet they have to close the fields. Open 10am – 4pm weekends from 30th September until 29th October and every day in October half term 23rd – 27th Oct. Thanks so much to Gemma for these photos below. She visited last year and had a great time. If you want to read a review of what it was like last year – here’s a fab one from Abi who blogs at Something About Baby. 

Foxes Farm Produce
Foxes Farm Produce

Hertfordshire

Pop up pick your own pumpkin patch at the pop up farm – just off junction 9 of the M1 next to the Harvester. AL3 8HT. It will be open 10am – 4pm Saturday 7th October; Sunday 8th October then every day from 14th – 31st October. 11 varieties of pumpkins, squashes, and gourds. Visitors can use a wheelbarrow and are encouraged to take pics. Free parking and entry. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water will also be available for purchase. Wear wellies. Milton Keynes Kids follower Katrina has been, she says “They have lots of parking, tea, coffee and treats for the little ones, a haystack maze and of course lots and lots of pumpkins! They start from £3.50 and the bigger ones are done by weight which is £1 per kilo! My other half obviously wanted to find the biggest one to get on the leader board and so far has come in at 3rd” Thanks Katrina – see her photos below. EDIT – NOW CLOSED FOR 2017.

 

 

pop up farm hertfordshire
pop up farm, hertfordshire

Nottinghamshire

Maxey’s Farm Shop – Pumpkin Festival – pumpkin picking, bouncy castle, BBQ, tractor rides. They’re a small farm and not a commercial visitor attraction so it can get very busy in their car park so if you can go the week before half term then do. 7th Oct – 31st Oct. Maxeys Farm Shop, Hockerton Road, Kirklington, Nottinghamshire, NG22 8PB. Have a read of this excellent review from 2016 by Jaime who blogs at The Oliver’s Madhouse.

 

Oxfordshire

Millet’s Farm Centre – Pick your own pumpkins 7th / 8 October, 14th / 15th October, 21st – 29th October. 10am – 4.30pm. Cash only. Millets Farm Centre, Kingston Road, Oxfordshire, OX13 5HB. Here’s a lovely review from 2016 from Laura at Dear Bear and Beany

Millets Farm

Suffolk

Undley Pumpkin Patch and Maize Maze – This place looks incredible – probably the most amount of pumpkins I’ve ever seen. There’s also a maize maze there, bale climbing area and inflatables for the kids. It’s open weekends from September 30th until the end of October as well as every day during half term. Free entry, charges for some activities. Do have a read of this review from 2016 from Kelly-Anne who blogs at Mimi Rose and Me to get an idea of what it’s like. Thank you also to Lauren who blogs at Dilan and Me for the incredible picture below and on the featured image. Do read her blog post from 2016 to see all of the pictures – they’re absolutely stunning. Pumpkin Patch & Maize Maze, Undley Road, Beck Row, IP288BX.

Undley Farm

Surrey

Secretts Farm – 24th – 29th Oct – pick your own pumpkins, mini tractor play area, face painting, haystack play area. Hurst Farm, Chapel Lane, Milford, Surrey, GU8 5HU. To get an idea of what it’s like have a read of Sarah’s review from 2015. She blogs at Kippers and Curtains.

 

Garsons – Pick your own pumpkin at this farm in Esher. If you want to know what it’s like have a read of this lovely review from 2016 by Katy who blogs at Hot Pink Wellingtons. Winterdown Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8LS

Garsons Farm

Yorkshire

Farmer Copley’s Pumpkin Festival – Runs 7th / 8th Oct, 14th / 15th Oct and 21st – 29th Oct, pick your own, carve your own, thousands to choose from. There’s also a fancy dress parade and story telling. You can read this review from 2016 by Catherine who blogs at Mama Cat and Baby Bee to find out what it’s like. Ravensknowle Farm, Pontefract Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 5AF

Mama Cat and Baby Bee

York Maze – pumpkin patch and Halloween activities. YO19 5LT. Have a read of this article from last year by Nikki who blogs at Yorkshire Wonders

I'm Laura, mum of two boys - aged six and four. I started this website at the end of Sept 2015 whilst on maternity leave. I now work four days a week and do this blog late at night once the little boys are sleeping. It's won several awards over the last four years and I continue to run it for free and mostly focus on free, cheap, and good value days out. Do drop me an email laura@miltonkeyneskids.com if you want to contact me. Don't forget to follow all of our latest adventures on facebook, instagram and twitter and have a look at all of the videos of the places we visit on the Milton Keynes Kids YouTube Channel - subscribe to it for notifications every time I add a new place. And remember... you may been reading this post months after we visited, do check with the destination you're visiting for up to date opening times and prices. If you find this blog useful then please do comment on my posts and leave me a Facebook review - it makes doing this all the more worthwhile.

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