Pumpkin Picking at Dewflock Farm

Tickets here buy a two hour slot rather than a whole day, starting at 10am, noon or 2pm, and that shapes the visit. There is enough included in the price to fill the time comfortably, but it pays to arrive knowing roughly what the children want to do first.

The pumpkin field is the centrepiece, rows of bright orange pumpkins to run through and pick from, and there is space set aside for carving on site. Bring your own carving set or buy one there, then hand the goop to the resident pigs, who are on show and will happily eat it. A maize maze sits alongside for anyone who wants to get lost for twenty minutes.

Animals are part of the ticket rather than an extra. There are goats and lambs to feed, a donkey to tickle and ponies to stroke, with new alpacas appearing at the farm this year. A large barn gives shelter and indoor straw play if the weather turns, and the same ticket covers the bouncy castle and face painting. Mini Land Rovers are the one thing charged on top, with tickets for those bought separately at the entry gate.

Food is served at the Pig Shed Cafe, and a BBQ cooks the farm's own meats. Two things to settle before you book: the farm has a no dog policy, so yours will have to stay at home, and tickets are tied to a named date and time slot and cannot be transferred once purchased. Check the day and the slot carefully before you confirm.