Ripe for the picking: UK’s best pumpkin patches 2026
With the temperatures getting cooler and the nights drawing in, pumpkin-picking season is officially upon us.
Whether you’re decorating your house for autumn or looking to carve a suitably scary face for Halloween, a trip to a pumpkin patch has become a must-do activity for this time of year.
To help you choose the perfect patch, we’ve analysed 83 of the UK’s most popular pumpkin-picking locations, scoring them on Google review ratings, Instagram and TikTok hashtags and adult entry price. We’ve also given extra points to the patches that grow their own pumpkins on site.
So, grab your wellies, check you have breakdown cover from long-standing experts The AA, and get ready for some autumn fun as we reveal the UK’s best pumpkin patches for 2026.
The UK’s top 10 pumpkin patches
.png)
1. Hatter's Farm, Essex
Taking the number one spot, Hatter's Farm in Essex is this year’s undisputed pumpkin champion. With 135,000 Google searches in October, a 4.8 star rating and a budget-friendly £5.36 entry fee, it combines popularity with great value. The farm boasts 100,000 of its own homegrown pumpkins, plus there’s lots to do beyond the patch, including a Maize Maze, Haunted Mad House, Pumpkin Cannon and Bale Mountain. You can also buy tickets for the Pumpkin Nights event, which offers a spookier after-dark experience.
2. Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
Just missing out on the top spot, Doddington Hall takes second place in our rankings. It has 25,500 Instagram hashtags, a 4.5 star Google rating, and is the only patch in our top 10 that’s completely free to visit. You pay for what you pick, with prices starting from £4, and you can choose from around 30 varieties of pumpkins, squashes and gourds, all of which are grown on site. Other activities include hunting for hidden “golden bottom” pumpkins to win prizes and taking a spooky walk through the Kitchen Garden.
3. Stockeld Park, North Yorkshire
Stockeld Park offers a whole Halloween adventure alongside its pumpkin patch. The attraction recorded 74,000 Google searches in October, 15,600 Instagram hashtags and 1,102 TikTok hashtags. A Mummy Maze, Enchanted Forest, Adventure Playground and zombie-themed Laser Tag mean there's plenty to keep little monsters entertained, while 2026 also sees the launch of Pumpkin Nights, complete with live music, games, food and eerie entertainment.
4. Dunham Massey Ice Cream Farm, Greater Manchester
If you fancy a side of ice-cream with your pumpkin-picking (and why wouldn’t you?), a trip to 4.5 star rated Dunham Massey Ice Cream Farm is a must. After you’ve selected your pumpkins, you can head to the café and ice cream parlour and choose from delicious seasonal flavours, all handmade on the farm. There are also pizzas and toasties on the menu. The farm has 2,006 TikTok hashtags – the highest of our top five – and entry is just £6 per car, making it a great value day out for a family or group of friends.
5. Kenyon Hall Farm, Cheshire
Rounding out the top five, Kenyon Hall Farm’s Pumpkin Festival recorded 60,500 October Google searches, a 4.5-star rating and 5,000 Instagram hashtags. Entry starts at just £3.95, and there are thousands of home-grown pumpkins spanning around 50 varieties. The festival has lots of spots perfect for a photo, with colourful pumpkin displays, autumn-themed backdrops and interactive props to pose with. After picking your pumpkins, you can stop by the café for a warming drink or bite to eat, browse the farm shop and pumpkin gift shop, and let children burn off some energy in the free playground.
6. Hitchin Lavender, Hertfordshire
Hitchin’s famous lavender fields have been an Instagram favourite for years, and its pumpkin patch is proving just as popular. This place boasts more than 35,000 Instagram hashtags – more than any other location in our survey. Autumnal photo opportunities come courtesy of a Haunted Barn and a Spooky Sunflower Maze, and there are loads of Halloween props to help you get into the spirit of things. Dozens of different types of pumpkins and squashes are grown on site, from classic carving pumpkins to more unusual varieties.
7. Millets Farm Centre, Oxfordshire
There are thousands of homegrown pumpkins waiting to be picked at Millets Farm Centre in Oxfordshire, with plenty of shapes, sizes and colours to choose from. The Halloween-themed patch is packed with seasonal props and photo opportunities, while peak dates also feature live entertainment and story sessions. Pumpkins cost between £1 and £10, and you can add even more Halloween fun with marshmallow toasting, face painting and a spooky snack shack. For something a little different, visit after dark for Pumpkins by Night, complete with an illuminated woodland trail, live entertainment, food trucks and fairground rides.
8. Over Farm, Gloucestershire
With 17 acres of patch to explore, there’s plenty of room to hunt down your perfect pumpkin at Over Farm in Gloucester. Wheelbarrow hire and parking are free, and there’s even a pumpkin and welly wash station to tackle the post-picking mud. Pumpkins start from £1.50, with a football-sized pumpkin costing around £3 on average – although those with grander carving plans can splash out on a giant ‘sumo’ pumpkin. If you work up an appetite searching the patch, you can grab a bite from one of the street food vendors and pull up a chair in the large undercover seating area.
9. Cattows Farm, Leicestershire
Cattows Farm takes pumpkin picking seriously, growing more than 100,000 pumpkins every year. But there’s much more than a trip to the patch on offer, with the farm transformed into a month-long Halloween festival. For 2026, attractions include Trick or Treat Street, a Halloween circus, roller disco, Zombie World and a spooky harvest tractor ride. There’s also a Halloween funfair and plenty of seasonal food and drink to tuck into, while Saturday evening visits bring after-dark attractions including haunted woodlands and pumpkin picking at night.
10. Clearwell Farm, Newport
With a near-perfect average Google review score of 4.9, Clearwell Farm is the highest-rated patch in our rankings. Each year, the family-run farm turns into a ‘Pumpkin Village’, with houses and buildings made almost entirely from pumpkins. It’s the largest of its kind in the UK, with more than 25 varieties of pumpkin (60,000 pumpkins in total), all of which are grown on site. For a truly memorable experience, visit after dark, when you can enjoy live music, DJ sets and marshmallow roasting, plus pumpkin picking by torchlight.
Pumpkin patches offering free entry
Don’t be haunted by entry fees – the following locations are free to visit, leaving you more money to spend on pumpkins (or a post pumpkin-picking hot chocolate):
- Bath Pumpkin Patch, Somerset
- Baydale Farm, County Durham
- Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
- Garden King Garden Centre, Derbyshire
- Severn Valley Cottage, Worcestershire
- Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall
The top 20 leaderboard
Still searching for the perfect pumpkin patch? Here’s the full list of the UK’s top 20 spots.
Top tips for getting your pumpkins home safely
Don’t let your pumpkin haul become a frightful driving hazard, or you could end up with penalty points or a fine. AA Patrol of the Year, Lee Morley shares advice for packing your pumpkins securely before setting off:
- Put pumpkins in the boot – Keep your pumpkin haul out of the passenger footwells and away from the driver. A pumpkin rolling under the pedals would be a seriously spooky surprise.
- Keep them contained – Don't simply pile pumpkins loosely into the boot. Use boxes, bags or suitable containers to stop pumpkins rolling when braking or cornering. Unsecured loads can affect vehicle handling and increase braking distances.
- Pack heavy items low down– Place larger, heavier pumpkins towards the bottom of your load and avoid stacking them so high that they could move or obstruct your view.
- Keep your view clear – However impressive your pumpkin haul, don't let it block your rear window or mirrors. Check that you can still see clearly before setting off.
- • Keep passengers clear of pumpkins – Don’t squeeze pumpkins onto seats or cram them around passengers. Make sure everyone has an obstacle-free seat and seat belt access.
- Do a final ‘pumpkin check’ – Before pulling away, take a few seconds to check that the boot is closed, the load is secure, and nothing is obstructing your view.
Methodology
The AA researched a seed list of 370 UK pumpkin patch locations and the average Google searches for each one in October 2025. Those that received over 10,000 searches (84 locations) were then put into a ranking index analysing average Google review score, number of Instagram and TikTok hashtags, adult entry price and whether pumpkins were grown onsite. Each of the above ranking factors was given a score from 0 to 100, then these ranking scores combined per location, to assign an average ‘Best pumpkin patch’ overall score. Data collected in September 2026.