Pumpkin Festival at West Lodge Farm Park

The patch is one part of a farm park day here rather than the whole of it. Thousands of pumpkins sit in the field in every shape, colour and size, and each visitor is handed a Pumpkin Passport to work through as the day goes on.

The Halloween side is pitched at younger children rather than at anyone looking for a fright. Children make their own wand with Daisy the Witch at Wand School, there is a magical potion room to look round, and the Tangled Web is a cobweb-filled walkthrough. A ghost story is performed during the festival in a panto style, played for laughs.

Farm entry also covers animal petting sessions, the piglet race, barrel rides, indoor and outdoor adventure play and 9-hole adventure golf, which means there is somewhere to go if the weather turns against you. The Spooky Tractor Ride around the farm carries a small extra charge, and several places around the site serve warming drinks, seasonal treats, meals and snacks.

The pumpkins themselves are not included in entry. They are priced individually and paid for separately, so allow for that on top of your tickets. Everything is booked in advance through the farm's DigiTickets site, and annual pass holders still need a ticket even though they come in free.

One piece of timing: the patch keeps shorter hours than the farm park around it. If the pumpkins are the main reason for the trip, head for the field first and let the rest of the day fill in around it.