Pumpkin Picking at Tweddle Farm

The pumpkin picking ticket here covers farm entry as well as the patch, so the pumpkins are one part of a day with the animals rather than a stop on their own. Annual pass holders already have the patch and the extra activities included in their pass.

The patch itself is filled with garden games, face painting, funfair rides and photo opportunities, and the pumpkins come in a range of shapes, colours and sizes rather than one uniform orange. Picking runs on the weekends of 10 and 11, 17 and 18, and 24 and 25 October, then Monday 26 to Friday 30 October.

Tractor rides and barrel rides are free once you are in, and animal feed is £1 a bag if children want to feed the animals themselves. A takeaway tearoom and snack bar serve food and drink through the day, and there are indoor and outdoor picnic areas if you would rather bring your own. Baby changing is available, and hand washing and sanitising stations are placed around the farm.

Pumpkin picking tickets are booked online through the farm's own booking system, and the ticket does not include the pumpkins themselves; those are added to the booking before checkout. The farm asks visitors to ring before travelling in adverse weather, which is worth remembering for a late October morning on the Durham coast.