the Pumpkin patch
october 2025
A full day out
We’re now heading into our last Half term week of the Pumpkin Patch at Rectory Farm! Take a stroll into our pumpkin field to find your own farm grown pumpkins and enjoy a full family day out packed with activities & entertainment.
The final week of the Pumpkin Patch:
25th-31st October for half term
What’s On
- Amazing Photo Opportunities – our patch is looking fabulous and our pumpkin tunnel will be a riot of pumpkins, squashes, gourds with autumnal colours and backdrops the theme. Get Instagram ready!
- Interactive Fete Games – Spooky Hoops, Eye Ball Alley, the Witches Hat Toss and more. Sensory play trays and crafting are also on offer – no chance to get bored!
- Mini Tractors – always a favourite. We love seeing little witches and and skeletons whizzing around the track!
- Show & Story Time – join Farmer Dog and his friend Miss Butterfly on a magical adventure! With games, songs, and lots of pumpkin giggles, can the audience help Farmer Dog and Miss Butterfly work out what to do with a harvest full of magic pumpkins?
- Tractor & Trailer Rides – for the best view of the pumpkin patch.
- Bale Stack – burn off a bit of energy by clambering on this farm favourite.
- Daily Fancy Dress Parade – encourage the kids to get dressed up for the fancy dress parade, which will be judged at 12pm everyday, The winner will receive a new Rectory Farm T-shirt!
- Face-Painting – look the part this Halloween!
- Pumpkin-Carving – take the stress and mess out of doing it at home with on-site carvers transforming your pumpkins with marvellous designs.
- Daily Live Music – come and enjoy bands and artists adding to the festival vibe – come back again in October and catch another!
- Fresh Local Food – we’ve got all our favourite food trucks coming over the month of October – check our listing to see what’s on and when.
- Licensed Bar – relax with a drink while the kids are kept busy. We’ll have no alcohol versions of some of your favourites and plenty of soft drinks too.
This is an October experience you don’t want to miss!
An exceptional Pumpkin patch experience. The staff, thoughful activities, music and theatre made such a memorable day for my children. We will definately come back every year.
pumpkin patch FAQ’s
This information will hopefully answer any questions you might have, otherwise we have a more general FAQ on our ‘Plan Your Visit’ page. If you still need to contact us, please use our form.
What days is the pumpkin patch 2025 open?
The full Pumpkin Patch event will be happening on all weekends and Half Term week in October. (4th – 5th, 11th-12th, 18th-19th, 25th-26th, then 27th-31st October). On days outside this in October, visitors are welcome to visit the pumpkin fields and choose pumpkins without a ticket, but please note there will be no entertainment on these days.
What hours is the pumpkin patch open?
The Pumpkin Patch opens at 8.30am every day, with 30 min entry slots bookable until 3.30pm. The event closes daily at 5pm, with the last 30 minute entry window 3.30-4pm. Your ticket is valid for the whole day from when you arrive.
Do I need to book?
A booked ticket is required for every adult and child coming to the Pumpkin Patch in October. Tickets are £8.50 for every age (inclusive of booking fee). For children under 2, entry is free and they will not need a ticket.
Wristbands will be issued on entry and checked throughout the site.
Children under 16 must be closely supervised at all times.
Can I change my ticket / get a refund?
Tickets are non-refundable, but you will be able to change your day and timeslot (subject to availability) up to 4 days before your visit. This can be done through the link on your original booking email.
If you can not attend on the day you have booked, you can also pass your tickets on to friends and family who can enter with your booking reference – no need to let us know in advance.
In the event of Rectory Farm cancelling the day you have booked on, a full refund will be issued, minus the booking fee to cover admin costs.
What will happen in bad weather?
The fields and event will not be closed on rainy days, and no refund will not be transferable on account of the weather. Much of the event is under-cover and we strongly advise you to come appropriately dressed with wellies and coats.
Can I visit the rest of the farm on pumpkin patch days without a ticket?
There will be no access to the PYO field or site without a ticket on event days. However the shop, cafe and wooden play area will be open as usual for all visitors and ready picked pumpkins can be purchased here if preferred.
Do you allow dogs?
We allow dogs on a lead in our cafe and outdoor areas including our tabletop fields. Dogs are not allowed in our farm shop or in crop fields, which includes all pumpkin fields. They are also not allowed in the Pumpkin Tunnel where all the games and activities and the show are. We reccomend leaving them at home if you are coming to the Pumpkin Patch.
What are your general opening times?
We are open Tuesday-Saturday 8.30-5.30pm and Sunday 9-4pm. Our cafe opens at 8.30am and closes at 5pm Tuesday – Saturday at 4pm on Sundays. Last entry to our PYO fields is one hour before we close.
What kind of pumpkins will be available ?
We have grown standard orange pumpkins and crown prince squash. There will also be other squashes that come in many colours and varieties.
Pumpkins can be paid for in the farm shop or the outdoor payment huts before leaving.
We cannot guarantee that every variety of pumpkin will be available for picking every day, and while we have made every effort to grow quality pumpkins, we cannot guarantee that all pumpkins will last until 31st October.
What activities will there be?
Planned activities include:
Pumpkin picking from the field
Mini ride-ons
Mini-golf
Story corner
Song time
Tractor and trailer ride (weather dependant)
Interactive games
Climbing bale stack
Live music
Daily childrens fancy dress competition
We are unable to guarantee that every activity will run at all times during every day of the Pumpkin Patch. In particular tractor & trailer rides, that are included in the ticket price, are very weather dependant.
What refreshments will be available?
In addition to our cafe offering snacks, hot and cold lunches and a selection of drinks, we will have a coffee van and food vendors on site close to the pumpkin fields, with some indoor and outdoor seating.
Please note that only food purchased on site can be consumed – no pic-nics please.
What happens if I miss my time slot?
Please try to arrive for your time slot but if you are a little late or early we will probably be able to accomodate you but we cannot guarantee it. Last entry into the Pumpkin Patch is at 4pm, as the event closes at 5pm daily.
What should I bring?
We advise you bring weather appropriate clothing – coats and wellies or strong shoes – the fields can be uneven and muddy.
Please bring strong carrier bags to take your pumpkins home – we love reuseables! (Otherwise lightweight carrier bags will be available at 10p each.)
I have lost my confirmation email
You will receive a reminder email two days before your booking with all the details or you can contact us to resend the confirmation email.
Is there enough parking?
We have ample parking on site, but do be prepared for up to a 10 minute walk from your car to the Pumpkin Patch entrance.
As we’re a busy working farm, you might spot tractors and other farm vehicles moving around the car park and nearby areas. For everyone’s safety, please keep a close eye on little ones and take extra care while on site.
What Payment methods are Accepted?
Cash and card is accepted across the whole farm, we do not accept American Express.
pumpkin recipes
Every year over a quarter of all Halloween pumpkins in the UK end up being thrown away - that's 18,000 tonnes of food waste - and it makes us pumpkin farmers very sad to see! So here are some tasty tips for getting the most out of your pumpkins and squashes.
PYO
The Rectory Farm picking season runs from April - October, starting with asparagus and finishing with pumpkins.
Our strawberries ripen up at the start of May and finish into September. Check out our PYO page to see what's in season when, and for lots of recipe ideas.
Plan your visit
Enjoy a day out at Rectory Farm picking all your favourite fruit and vegetables to take home and enjoy. Remember to bring your own punnets and carrier bags to help us reduce plastic use.
Visit the shop from March - December to stock up on kitchen essentials and all our ready-picked fruit and vegetables if you’re short on time.
rectory farm cafe
Join us for coffee and locally baked pastries, a pot of tea and a slice of homemade cake or a cool ice-cream topped with a flake.
We have both indoor seating and outdoor seating (covered and uncovered) and plenty of space for families and groups to gather and catch up over good food and drink.