Dorset Country Pumpkins, Milton Abbas : The cover stars of Dorset Magazine’s October edition, this pumpkin patch on the Miller family’s farm in Milton Abbas first opened last year, and sold out fast. This year Longclose Farm (DT11 0BU) has upped their game and have planted nearly 5000 plants so they are looking forward to a bumper crop of pumpkins great and small, and both white and orange! Open October 15/16 and from 22 – 30, no booking is required and there is no entrance fee, you just pay for the pumpkins you pick. They are also well set up for wheelchair access to the patch using their quad bike with trailer, just let them know in advance. See their step-by-step how to carve a pumpkin with downloadable template on their website...as well as some cracking pumpkin recipes! Latest news on Facebook & Instagram
Farmer Palmers, Organford : This family run farming attraction near Poole is giving its farm park a spooky makeover, with the resident ‘Boo Crew’ getting into the ‘spirit’ of things. The Trailer of Laughs offers a Soak-a-Spook tractor ride, and back-by-popular-demand is their Pumpkin Pick event where your little witches, wizards, werewolves, monsters and ghouls can pick their own. Running from October 22 – 30, tickets must be pre-booked in advance as a bolt-on to Halloween Half Term admission tickets. Farmer Palmer's pumpkin patch will be opened for a few hours each day during half term so your little ones can pick a pumpkin to take home. There will also be props and mini-wheelbarrows in the field for those all-important Insta-worthy photoshoots! One pumpkin per family. If you are visiting with multiple children and would like them all to have a pumpkin each, then you need to book one ticket per child (£3.50). Simply show your ticket to the Pumpkin Princess at the Pumpkin Patch and she'll tick your name off the list. Tickets will go fast, so book now!
Bincombe Bumps Pumpkins, near Dorchester : Located on West Farm, Bincombe (DT3 5PS) this pick your own venue is openselect days throughout the month so keep an eye on their Facebook page. As well as pumpkin picking there's a Haunted House to explore and see if you can spot the spooks in the Witches Maize Trail. Dogs are allowed in the patch on a lead, and providing you clean up after them. Refreshments available. No need to book, no entry free, just pay for pumpkins you pick.
Lenctenbury Farm, Corfe Castle: This family-run farm is open for pumpkin picking (10am – 5pm) every day from October 8 until all the pumpkins are picked (they’ve grown over 3000 pumpkins this year). Their barn shop offers ready picked eating and decorative autumn squash if you don’t fancy picking your own. No booking required and no entry charge, you pay for the pumpkins you pick. Card and cash payment. Latest updates on Facebook and Instagram . As its located on opposite The Halfway Inn on the A351 between Wareham and Corfe Castle, it can be combine with a visit to the thousand-year-old Corfe Castle which has some Tudor themed events happening over half-term.
The Cat and Fiddle Farm, Hinton: Sitting on the edge of the New Forest, The Cat and Fiddle Farm forms part of the Dan Tanner family business that grows over 20 different fruits and vegetables, in autumn this means plump pumpkins which are available for picking now ( no need to book), and are in season throughout the whole of October. There's also an onsite café so you can warm up with a brew and a slice of cake once you've picked your perfect pumpkin. No entrance fee - simply pay for what you pick, cash and cards are accepted. Find them at Hinton on the A35 Lyndhurst Road, 2 miles from Christchurch.
Sopley Farm, Christchurch : Just north of the Cat and Fiddle Farm is Sopley Farm. Located on the Sopley to Bransgore Road - this is also part of the Dan Tanner family business, and row upon row of pumpkins are now ready to be picked there,. Same rules apply: no booking required, no entrance fee and you just pay for what you pick. They’ve also just opened a new onsite bakery!
Pumpkin Picking Patch, Fordingbridge: Though this is technically over the border in Hampshire, if you are in the eastern part of Dorset this is worth venturing slightly further afield for. Located at Bickton Manor Farm, on the A338 between Ringwood and Downton on the edge of the New Forest, this long-established pumpkin patch at Fordingbridge has everything you need for a great family day out...lots of space to run around, portaloo toilets, disabled toilets, and baby change facilities plus refreshments. For the budding pumpkinologists there are 10 acres of pumpkins to browse, for the crafty - lots to create, make and take, and for the intrepid - a journey into their new Halloween Maize Maze (booking required for maze, choose day time or twilight, £6.50, under 4s free) is not to be missed! Open October 9, 10, 16, 17, 22 to 31
