Pumpkin Picking at Sharnfold Farm

One ticket here covers rather more than the pumpkins. Entry to the pick your own field is part of the farm trail ticket, so the same price gives you the run of the whole site, and that is a long list: an adventure playground, friendly farm animals, Barnyard Burrows, Active Alley, Timber Town, Puzzle Patch, Enchanted Enclosure and a mini maze among them.

There is more of it than most families get through in one go. Critter Corner, Willow Way, Hollow Hideout, Lakeside Lookout, Sound Station, Lawn Games Land, Vehicle Valley and Sensory Street are all included too, and there is a cafe for food and refreshments and a gift shop on site.

In the field itself there are hundreds of pumpkins to choose from, in sizes from very large down to very small. They are not included in the entry price and are priced individually by weight. The field is decorated with autumn displays, themed backdrops and photo props, so it is set up for photographs as much as for picking.

The pumpkin field opens for three weekends only, so the dates matter more here than at farms that run all month. Online tickets are available until midnight the day before your visit, and if you miss that, tickets are always available on the gate at standard gate prices. Under 2s go free and annual membership holders get free access.

It is a working farm field, so wellies or sturdy footwear are sensible in wet weather. Note too that Sharnfold Spooktacular, the farm's enchanted woodland Halloween event during half term, is a separate event from the pumpkin field.