Pumpkin Picking at Rainfords Farm

Five generations of the same family have farmed at Catchdale Moss, and the pumpkin season here sits alongside the Christmas trees they have been growing for nearly fifty years. That experience shows in how the picking is set up. Rather than sending you into an open field, the pumpkins are picked and laid out in an enclosed grassed area beside the Barn.

Wheelbarrows are provided, including children's ones, which solves the usual problem of a four-year-old determined to carry the biggest pumpkin in the patch. The range runs from small pumpkins and gourds up through everyday carving pumpkins to proper show-off giants, depending on how the crop has come in that week.

Carving runs in a marquee during opening hours with no advance booking, so you can pick and carve in the same visit, as long as you allow for carving stopping half an hour before the farm closes. Children need an adult with them at the tables. A seasonal café serves hot drinks, food and desserts, and the retail Barn stocks autumn and Halloween decorations, lighting and carving kits.

Entry is free, parking is free and general picking does not need to be booked, which makes this an easy trip to fit around the rest of a Saturday. The grassed area can get muddy after prolonged rain, so waterproofs and suitable footwear are sensible. Dogs cannot come into the Barn or the picking area, though there is a dedicated fenced doggy pumpkin patch nearby. Anyone who needs wheelchair or pram access is asked to get in touch with the farm first.