Pumpkin Picking at Roberts Farm Shop

This is pick your own in the proper sense. You walk out into the field, choose your pumpkin straight from the patch and pay for what you have picked, with the entry ticket and the pumpkins kept as two separate costs.

Around the field there is a Spooky Trail to follow, a Halloween Shop, Lucky Dips and Halloween crafts, and pumpkin carving is available on site if you would rather not take a knife to it at home. Some of these activities carry an additional charge on top of entry, so it is worth setting expectations with children before you go in.

The opening weekend, on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, comes with extra entertainment in the shape of a stilt walker and juggling performances. That is the busiest choice but also the fullest one, and the rest of the season settles into a straightforward patch visit.

Dogs are welcome, so the family pet does not have to sit out the trip in the car. Entry is cheaper booked online than paid on the gate, and the farm recommends booking ahead to avoid disappointment. Times do change as the season goes on, and the arrangements for the last week, from 26 to 31 October, were still to be confirmed, so half term visits are worth checking before you travel.