Pumpkin picking near London: four places for an autumn day out

Where do you find a pumpkin? Apart from the supermarket, obviously.

Adapted from my travel notes dated 16 October 2023.

I have a soft spot for the English tradition of heading out to a field to choose one. The photographs are lovely, and there is something satisfying about coming home with food you’ve picked yourself.

Does that mean I’m volunteering to dig potatoes on the family allotment? Absolutely not.

Here are four farms from my original shortlist, with their current visitor information linked below. Choose the one that makes sense for your journey, and check the farm’s own page before leaving: crop availability and autumn opening days can change.

Copas Farms: the Iver Fruit Fields

The Copas Farms booking portal has separate branches, so make sure you select Iver if that’s the farm you mean to visit.

When checked, the Iver portal listed pumpkin-picking entry at £4, with pumpkins paid for separately. Tickets are non-refundable, and the listing says dogs aren’t permitted. Choose your day and time carefully; the portal says bookings cannot be changed or cancelled.

Check the Iver booking portal.

Hewitts Farm, Kent

This is the option to look at if you’d prefer an ordinary pick-your-own visit. Hewitts’ crop update dated 1 October 2026 lists pumpkins among the produce available.

The farm says individual visitors don’t need to book. Entry is free, and you pay for what you pick. Arrive before the stated last-entry time, which is earlier than closing time.

There’s more than pumpkins on the crop list, so check what else is ready while you’re planning your visit. Bring bags to carry your haul home.

Check Hewitts’ crop update and opening times.

Meopham PYO, Kent

Meopham is a family-run farm at Broomfield Farm, Ifield Road. I like having smaller businesses on the shortlist, too.

Its website lists pumpkins among the seasonal crops, but tells visitors to check its social accounts for weekly availability. General seasonal opening hours are Saturday and Sunday, 10am–4pm, from mid-June to 31 October.

Entry is free, there’s no booking requirement, and produce is charged by weight. Bring your own bags.

If you’re going by public transport, work out the last part of the journey as well as the train. The farm identifies Meopham and Borough Green as its closest stations; neither should be mistaken for the farm entrance.

Check Meopham’s visitor information and crop updates.

Stanhill Farm, Kent

Stanhill’s 2026 pumpkin patch requires advance booking. Its published dates are 3–4, 10–11 and 17–18 October, then 20–30 October.

The entry ticket is listed at £7.50, plus the ticket provider’s booking fee, for one vehicle carrying up to eight people, or one walk-in group of up to eight. Two vehicles need two tickets. Pumpkins cost extra.

The farm provides wheelbarrows and photo opportunities. It doesn’t allow dogs or picnics. In heavy rain the patch may close, so check before travelling, especially if you’re making a longer journey.

Check Stanhill’s dates, rules and booking link.

A little planning before you go

Wear shoes you can clean afterwards, and bring a strong bag. A pumpkin may look manageable in the field and feel rather different on the train home.

For a visit without a car, check the station-to-farm route in both directions. Confirm the bus or taxi leg separately; the train journey is only part of the day.

Which farm would you choose? I’d make room for the pumpkin before choosing an outfit for the photographs.

For another countryside day, browse my Sevenoaks and Knole plan or two-day Cotswolds route.

Sources & visitor information

Destination information checked on 4 October 2026. Use the linked venue or authority for current access and booking details.

• Copas Farms: Iver pumpkin picking tickets ↗
• Hewitts Farm: crop availability and opening times ↗
• Meopham PYO: seasonal visitor information ↗
• Stanhill Farm: 2026 pumpkin patch ↗