Pumpkin season is creeping up, and you don't need a car or a weekend in the deep countryside to join in. London now has its own urban patch, and the surrounding counties of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Berkshire and Hertfordshire are packed with farms turning October into a full-blown festival season.
The easiest option is the London Pumpkin Patch at Parsons Green, reachable on the District line. Running 24 October to 1 November 2026, it spreads more than 10,000 pumpkins across the green, with lantern-lit paths, a Trick-or-Treat Lane storytelling trail for kids and a pumpkin-smashing finale on 1 November, with the leftovers recycled into biofuel. Entry starts at £7.50.
If you want the biggest spectacle, Tulleys Farm near Crawley in West Sussex claims Europe's largest pumpkin festival, with a new Pumpkin Valley area for 2026 and after-dark Pumpkin Nights from £14.95. Closer in, Hobbledown Heath in Hounslow pairs its riverside patch with fairground rides, marshmallow toasting and lantern-lit evening events, with daytime tickets from £7.50.
Further out, the choices get wonderfully weird. Cammas Hall Farm on the Essex-Hertfordshire border grows over 80 varieties of pumpkin and squash, plus a 'Pumpcano', spooky tunnels and an adults-only fright night. Crockford Bridge Farm in Addlestone, Surrey runs an Alice in Wonderland-themed festival over half-term, complete with a Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Garsons in Esher, one of the UK's largest pick-your-own farms, adds a circus theme to its Pumpkin Parade this year. Rogate Pumpkin Patch, set in the South Downs National Park, ends its season with a Pumpkin Smash on 1 November — leftovers go to feed the cattle. Wasing Estate near Aldermaston in Berkshire takes a gentler route, with a fairy garden woodland walk leading to a field with a Cinderella-style pumpkin carriage. And Secretts in Milford, Surrey, has grown from 1,000 leftover pumpkins in 2009 to around 200,000 a year across 12 varieties.
Timing matters. October is peak season, though some farms open in late September. Weekday visits early in the month mean fewer crowds and the best selection; the days before Halloween bring the liveliest atmosphere, with carving stations, spooky trails and after-dark events. Weekend slots sell out, so book ahead almost everywhere. Note that most patches charge for pumpkins separately — usually by weight — on top of entry.
