7 Of The Best Pumpkin Patches You Must Visit In The North West
Bippity Boppity Boo – Halloween day is finally drawing near! The days are getting shorter and you’re pulling your moth-bitten blankets and all manner of knits out from the depths of your cupboards.
I absolutely love this time of year, with fast-changing foliage and lovely crisp days. One of the highlights of my year is getting down in the muck of a good old pumpkin patch. Though plucking a pumpkin from the box at Asda is quite simple, you can’t find whopping pumpkins or warty gourds here! What’s more, getting out and about is simply more fun and makes for a splendid family day trip.
Feeling inspired? Read on to learn about 7 of the best pumpkin patches you can enjoy in the North West. We also have some blog posts detailing other fab pumpkin patches in the North and North East.
Throw your cosiest Jumper on and get some sturdy wellies ready as we’re about to explore some of the best spots to make the most of this year’s Halloween harvest!
The Pumpkin Patch Hightown, Liverpool
Photo Credits: The Pumpkin Patch High Town
Come on down to this lush family-run farm for a fangtastic day out. Well known for their monstrously big pumpkins, and an exciting array of pumpkins, squashes and gourds, you’ll be sure to find just what you’re looking for, no matter your needs.
Booking is not required and what’s more, there are no entrance fees! The farm opens on October 2nd, so what are you waiting for? Pull some wellies on, wrap up in your cosiest coat and get out there!
Activities on offer
Saunter your through the peculiar pumpkin patch and be sure not to trip on protruding vines! Hunt your way through a sea of orange pumpkins to find the one that’s just right. White pumpkins, several squashes and all manner of grotesque gourds are also just waiting to be snatched up and to celebrate this haunting Halloween season with you. They not only make for some fab seasonal décor, but are also terribly tasty! You can also pick your own sweetcorn straight from the cob – we wonder what tasty treats you’ll cook up.
Photo Credits: The Pumpkin Patch High Town
For the first time, there is also a mysterious Maize Maze for you to explore! Weave your way through over 5 acres of labyrinthine twists and turns. After working up a monstrous appetite, treats yourself to some refreshments or snack away at food you brought with you over in the picnic area. Dogs are also welcome to join the seasonal festivities, though be sure to keep them on a short lead and to clean up after them.
Opening times
You can join the Halloween here at the Pumpkin Patch Hightown every day from October 2nd and through to the 31st. The farm is open from 9am to 6pm.
Where to find them
Orrel Hill Lane, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 5DA. Check out their Facebook here.
Walby Farm Park, Cumbria
There’s no better way to get stuck in with the Halloween spirit that heading on down to a pumpkin patch – and Walby Farm Park has you covered! With plenty of eerie events planned and spookalicious specials at their onsite café, a great family day out is definitely on your (tarot) cards. In the words of the farm itself “Hallo-queens and Pump-kings” are more than welcome!
You must pre-book your ticket online here. Adult tickets cost £11.95 and children’s tickets cost £14.45. This price for children not only includes patch admission but also one free pumpkin! Under 1s and carers can join the fun for free.
Activities on offer
Grab a wheelbarrow and make your way down to the home-grown pumpkin patch here at Walby Park. After picking out your perfect pumpkin pal, head on over to the carving tent and let you imagination run wild! Practise your aim over at the corn cannon – how many targets will you hit? Connect with curious critters over at the animal greeting station and enjoy some typical farm fun over at the indoor and outdoor play areas. Are your little beasties more like little monkeys? Well they’ll be sure to have a blast here! Scramble up Milecastle 62, a three-storey Roman-themed fort, and swing along its ropes or slip on down its slides.
It is recommended that you bring toddlers and very young children along to the Mini Pumpkin Picking Event. Here, your little pumpkins can enjoy all the farm has to offer in a quieter and more relaxed setting. Older children can still have some frightfully good fun over at the regular Pumpkin Picking Event.
Opening times
You can pick pumpkins here at Walby Farm Park from the 11th to the 31st of October. The event starts at 10am with last entries at 4pm.
The Mini Pumpkin Picking Event runs from October 11th-15th as well as from the 18th to the 20th.
The Pumpkin Picking Event runs from October 16th-17th as well as from the 23rd to the 31st.
Where to find them
Walby, Crosby-on-Eden, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 4QL. You can check out their website here or give them a ring at 01228 573056.
Farmer Ted’s Pumpkin Festival, Ormskirk
Photo Credits: Farmer Teds
The beloved adventure farm of Farmer Teds is known for extensive farmland and fab play facilities. However, once the Halloween season comes around, the farm undergoes a fiendishly terrible transformation! Back and better than ever, you’ll be sure to have a dastardly day out hunting for your perfect pumpkin pal.
Pre-booking is a must this year. All you need to do is head here to swipe up your ticket. Please note, tickets aren’t for specific time slots and you can arrive anytime during the farm opening hours. Adult tickets cost £11.50, children’s tickets cost £15.50 and children under 2 get in free. What’s more, tickets for fee paying children also include 1 free pumpkin! Carers can swipe up a ticket at a discount for £5. Additional tickets for the Ghost Hunters Experience can be bought for £6.
Activities on offer
Scurry your way through the perilous pumpkin patch and lug your bounty over to the pumpkin carving station. Here you can let your creativity flourish and you might even bag a prize or two in the carving competitions. Not that handy with a pumpkin carving knife? There’s no need to worry – you can still snatch up a prize by turning up in your most fiendish fancy dress and entering the costume competitions.
Fancy a scare? Well, there’s plenty in store over at the Spooky Ghost Stories reading sessions! Listen in nail-biting anticipation to a whole host of spooktacular tales, that are sure to send a chill up your spine. Splat some pesky spectres over at the Ghost Hunter’s Paintball Experience. Hop aboard the Ghost Hunter Express and creep your way through frightful fields. Was that a flash of white?! Get your gun at the ready and let those ghastly ghouls have it!
Photo Credits: Farmer Teds
However, there’s still much more in store for the more faint-hearted amongst you. Laugh yourself silly on the fairground rides or have a natter with the wonderfully welcoming Wendy the Witch. Usual farm activities are still available for you to enjoy this Halloween season, such as the Shaun the Sheep Adventure and the beastly petting centre, plus plenty more.
Opening times
The Spooktacular Spectacular is open every weekend from the 2nd of October. Weekday tickets are available from October 25th and the event runs until the 31st. When pre-booking a ticket, you are not booking for a specific time slot and so you can drop by the farm at anytime. The festival is open from 10am until 5pm.
Where to find them
Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm, Flatman’s Lane, Downholland, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 7HW. Check out their website here or you can give them a ring at 01515 260002.
Cockfields Farm Park, Ashton
Photo Credits: Cockfields Farm Park
There is no shortage of festive fun for you to throw yourself into down at Cockfields Farm Park. They really have gone all out this year and transformed the farm into something utterly spooktacular! This year, they are running the Pumpkin Festival as well as the Toddler Pumpkin Festival and there’s plenty in store to keep your little terrors entertained.
Pre-booking this year is essential. Check out their website here to grab your tickets. For the Toddler Pumpkin Festival, children’s tickets cost £15, including one free pumpkin, and adult tickets cost £13. For the regular Pumpkin Festival, children’s tickets cost £20, with one free pumpkin, and adult tickets cost £20, including one pumpkin, or £15, without a pumpkin. You can also snatch up a Pumpkin Festival goody bag for £13 as well as bags of animal snacks for £1.50. Parking is free.
Activities on offer
Down at the Toddler Pumpkin Festival, little beasties can enjoy a diabolical day out that is specially designed for them. Load up your miniature wheelbarrow with your favourite pumpkin and head on down to the carving barn. Carve to your heart’s content and leave your mess behind – no more mucky kitchen for you this year!
At the Creepy Cave, you can cuddle curious critters, such as ghastly guinea pigs, creepy crawlies and revolting reptiles, during the animal handling and feeding sessions. These sessions are shorter than those at the Pumpkin Festival, allowing you and your little ones the chance to fit a bit more into your busy day, or rather, to catch up on some Zzzs! There is a more limited capacity at the Toddler Pumpkin Festival, ensuring that there aren’t massive crowds of people, so that you and your little ghouls can enjoy your day to the fullest.
Photo Credits: Cockfields Farm Park
At the Pumpkin Festival, you can also trundle through acres of pumpkin patches with a wicked wheelbarrow and scenic views. The carving barn is also available, as well as the animal petting and feeding sessions. Show off your moves down at the Monster Mashup Disco and pose for some Insta-worthy pics at the Pumpkin Village.
Across both festivals, you can chug through the farm atop the tractor rides, cheer on the carousel and even access the rest of the farm! Full access to the farm and all of the daily activities are included in your ticket price, so what are you waiting for? Shimmy on down the slides, have a giggle in the sandpit or have a bounce over at the Jumping Pillow. Round off your day with a trip to the gift shop, or stop by the café picnic areas to enjoy some terrifying treats.
Opening times
You can join the fun at the Toddler Pumpkin Festival from October 4th to the 8th, the 11th to the 15th and the 18th to the 22nd. The Pumpkin Festival is open every weekend from October 2nd, and additional weekday slots are available from the 25th all the way through to the 31st. Entry to both festivals begins at 10am and ends at 2:30pm.
Where to find them
Cockfields Farm Park, Lees Road, Ashton/Oldham Border, OL6 8AR, UK. Check out their website here or give them a call at 01613 313322.
Windmill Animal Park, Lancashire
Photo Credits: Windmill Animal Park
This year, over 20,000 pumpkins have been planted in lush pumpkin fields for you to pick away at. With so much to choose from, we recommend you bring along a sturdy bag, or more likely, a strong pair of hands! So cosy on up with a scarf and some gloves, and rove your way through a field full of all manner of weird and wonderful pumpkins.
Pre-booking a ticket is a must. Head over here to snatch up some terrific tickets. Each ticket includes full day admission to the farm itself, as well as all the spooks in store. What’s more, tickets also include one free pumpkin, but feel free to go mad and buy some more on the day! Adult tickets cost £15.95 and children’s tickets cost £16.95.
Activities on offer
Creep your way through the Pumpkin Picking Adventure and pluck your favourite pumpkin from the vine. We’re sure that you’ll snatch up some whoppers, but don’t worry – wheelbarrows are available. Get up to no good over at the outdoor play area, or make mischief at the indoor soft play area for those (inevitable!) rainy days. Pop on the pedal tractors and go-carts and zoom your way around the farm – be careful not to hit any other little ghouls!
Photo Credits: Windmill Animal Farm
Hop aboard the Farm Train, a 15” gauge miniature railway, and chug your way throughout the farm. Befriend some bewitching beasties, such as ravenous reptiles and creepy crawlies, or cuddle up with some cute critters at the Farmyard Friends station. Balance, climb and swing your way through the adventure trail. After working up an appetite, you can satisfy your sweet tooth at the incredible ice cream lodge.
Opening times
You can pick pumpkins down at Windmill Animal Farm from the 9th all the way through to the 31st of October. You tickets give you full day access to the farm. Therefore, you can drop by the farm anytime from 10am to 5pm.
Where to find them
Windmill Animal Farm, Fish Lane, Burscough, Lancashire L40 1UQ. Check out their website here or give them a ring at 01704 892282.
Church Farm, Wirral
Down at this years Family Fright Festival you can wade your way through over 3,000 pumpkins to find your perfect carving companion or ideal ingredient. Be sure to pull on some wellies, as the lush pumpkin fields can get rather muddy!
It is strongly recommended that you pre-book tickets. You can snag full-day tickets here or part-day tickets here. Full-day adult tickets cost £6.50 and children’s tickets cost £6. Part-day adult tickets cost £5.50 and children’s tickets cost £5. Family tickets start from £20 and children under 2 get in free! Pumpkin costs range from £2 to £5.
Activities on offer
Stalk your way through the pumpkin patch and enjoy the lovely rural views. If you dare, follow along the scarecrow trail. You’ll be led throughout the farm with the help of clues with the promise of rank rewards. Little Einsteins can also ponder away at putrid puzzles. Hop aboard the Beastly Barrel Train Ride for just £2 – we’re sure this will make for some frightfully good family pics! Though, you can also clamber up the tractor for a trundle through the farm for free. Cheer at the side lines of the sheep races and get up to all sorts of typical farm-themed mischief at the rest of the farm. Face up against fearsome creatures, including alpacas, emus, ponies and goats, and feed them treacherous treats.
Opening times
The farm is open from October 2nd all the way through to the 31st. Full-day tickets are valid from 10am until 5pm. Part-day tickets are valid from 2pm until 5pm.
Where to find them
Church Lane, Thurstaston, Wirral, CH61 0HW. You can check out their website here or give them a ring at 01516 487838.
The Hayloft, Cheshire
Photo Credits: Adam Joe Roberts
Open nearly everyday of October and jam-packed with wonderful gnarled, ghoulish, large and warty pumpkins, the Hayloft is a spookalicious spot to gather up some pumpkins! Snag yourself some home-grown quirky gourds or scary squashes of all kinds of weird and wonderful varieties in over 30 acres of farmland. The quaint pumpkin fields also makes for some fab family photos, so be sure to charge your cameras up before stopping by for a haunting day out.
This year pre-booking is not essential. You do not have to purchase any tickets, rather, you just pay for whatever pumpkins you pick. Though if you fancy braving the spooky maze, adult tickets cost £3.50, children’s tickets cost £2 and under 18-month-olds get in free.
Activities on offer
Patter through vast pumpkin fields brimming with all manner of unique and strange pumpkin varieties. Be careful not to trip on some vicious vines! Wheelbarrows are available to help lug your bounty around, as well as sanitising stations, to make sure everyone stays safe. You can also pick your own sweetcorn straight from the cob! Fancy a spook? Well you’re just in luck! Enter the Spooky Maze (if you dare!) and get muddled in a series of never-ending twists and turns. Prefer the safety of open fields and glorious views? Hop aboard the tractor rides and trundle your way around the farm. Sat high atop the tractor, you can enjoy a spooktacular, though somewhat bumpy, ride.
Photo Credits: Adam Joe Roberts
Have a hoot chugging along on the miniature railway – fingers crossed that there’s good weather! Fill up your belly all throughout the day over at the coffee shop. Don’t forget your furry friends as dogs are welcome in outside areas. Though do please keep them on a short lead and clean up any of their messes.
Opening times
The Hayloft is open everyday from October 2nd through to the 31st. The farm is open from 10am to 4:30pm from October 2nd until the 10th. From October 11th onwards, the farm is open from 10am until 7pm.
Where to find them
The Hayloft Cheshire, Sandy Lane, Bold, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3XP. Check out their website or Facebook, or give them a call at 01925 726220.
Final thoughts
We hope you have been inspired by our list of 7 Of The Best Pumpkin Patches You Must Visit In The North West and to get out and have some fangtastic family days out this cosy Autumn season. It is a wonderful time of year, so get out there and have some fun!
If you visit any of the patches mentioned here, please let us know! You can tag us on Instagram or Facebook. It’s makes our day to hear what you guys get up to.
Have you ever been to the patches we described above? Any must-see’s you think we’ve missed? Leave us a comment down below.
