Whether you want to carve a Halloween jack o’lantern or you’re really into pumpkin soup, here’s where to PYO pumpkins in Essex
Foxes Farm Produce, Basildon & Colchester
Foxes Farm Produce has been growing and harvesting pumpkins for over 10 years now, so you know where to go for a quality to carve! This year, Foxes Farm Produce’s Pumpkin Patch is operating an online booking system to help with social distancing. Oh and Denise van Outen has been known to PYO here... Family Ticket (four people) £5, additional tickets £1.50. Picking season is 3-4 Oct, 10-11 Oct, then daily from 17-31 October.
Watch House Farm, Wash Road, Basildon SS15 4ER & Aldham, Colchester CO6 3PR; foxesfarmproduce.co.uk
Cammas Hall, Hatfield Broad Oak
Cammas Hall on the Essex/Herts border is running things a little differently this year, but the fun must go on! There will be no tractor rides out to the pumpkin fields as in previous years, and access to the pumpkin patch will be ticketed (£2). Table bookings have been suspended, but you can get takeaway, with breakfast, lunch, cakes, pumpkin lattes, mulled apple juice and butternut squash soup available daily 9am-4pm. At weekends and during half term they will also be firing up the BBQ and pizza oven. Picking season is 1-31 October (closed Mon 5th, 12th & 19th Oct).
Needham Green, Hatfield Broad Oak CM22 7JT; cammashall.co.uk
Lathcoats Farm, Chelmsford
Visit Lathcoats Farm this October to pick your own pumpkins! You can also carve your pumpkins on site for £4.50, which includes a small or medium pumpkin, and there’s no mess to clear up! The farm is also running a Halloween Hunt, where the kids can help forgetful witch Molly find items for her magical spell and win a delicious treat (£3.50pp with an activtiy sheet, pencil and chocolate treat). During your visit, you can PYO apples too. Entry to the PYO Pumpkin Patch is 50p per person. Picking season is 19-30 October.
Beehive Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford CM2 8LX; eapples.co.uk
