Pumpkin Picking at Farrington's Farm

Everything in this patch was grown where you are standing: around twenty acres of pumpkins, squash and gourds at Farrington Gurney, in more than fifty different varieties. That is the reason to make the trip rather than pick one up with the shopping, because the range runs well past the standard orange globe.

Your ticket covers the patch itself plus the themed displays, the Witch's Wood and the carving area, so there is more to the visit than choosing a pumpkin and leaving. Whinny the Witch of Farrington Gurney turns up at the farm across the festival. A pop-up funfair with rides and games runs alongside the field, while marshmallow toasting at the Witch's Wood and the carving kits both cost extra on the day.

Pumpkins themselves are not part of the ticket. You buy them when you are there, as many as you want, and wheelbarrows are free to borrow for carting the haul back. The patch is cashless, so bring a card; the farm shop and cafe take cash and card, though not American Express.

Tickets have to be bought in advance and come with an arrival time slot, so this is not a visit to decide on in the car park. The farm asks for long trousers, long-sleeved tops and wellies, which tells you plenty about the ground, and the patch is generally not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The farm shop, deli, cafe and Playbarn keep their own shorter hours, so check those before you build a whole day around them.