This Dog-friendly Pumpkin Patches Near London Guide has been updated for 2023.
Nothing says Autumn like piles of brown leaves in the park or pictures of perfectly round orange pumpkins in the run-up to Halloween, right? So this time of year is perfect to borrow a tradition from our US friends and head to a pumpkin patch to add some pumpkin spice to your Autumn photos. The question is, are there dog-friendly pumpkin patches near London where your dog can join in the pumpkin picking fun with you? We decided to find out…read on to see what we discovered.
Can you take your dog to a Pumpkin Patch Near London?
Pumpkin patches are not as widespread in the UK as they are in the US, but they are a growing trend. However, based on our research, we discovered that many don’t allow dogs, with most venues citing health and safety reasons for this decision.
Also due to the nature of a pumpkin patch (the large fields needed to grow the pumpkins), they tend to be outside of London on farms or in rural areas. However, don’t despair – that ‘Pups and Pumpkin’ pic for the ‘gram is still an option as the answer is yes, you can take your dog to some dog-friendly pumpkin patches near London as long as they are kept on leads.
Dog-friendly Pumpkin Patches Near London
After getting in touch with more than fifteen pumpkin patches near London, we found several pumpkin patches that are dog-friendly and do allow dogs in the actual pumpkin patch rather than just on the farm or not at all.
We should also mention that all of the dog-friendly pumpkin patches offer wheelbarrows to carry all the pumpkins you pick, have refreshments available to purchase onsite and make an effort to put on pumpkin-themed attractions for kids, especially during half-term week.
So without further ado, here they are…
Tulleys Farm – Crawley
Geat news, Tulleys Farm are now welcoming dogs again for the 2023 Pumpkin Patch season. Tulleys Pumpkin Farm is a great option for South Londoners, is extremely well organised and very popular with families due to the child-friendly entertainment options that are put on. There are over 20 acres that produce around 150,000 Pumpkins and Tulley’s have created 30 Instagram pop-up photo opportunities around the farm and are the leader of the Pumpkin Patch Pack when it comes to Pumpkin photo opportunities. Plus there are both Pumpkin Day and Pumpkin Night sessions for some extra spookiness! Read all about our visit to Tulleys Pumpkin Patch here.
New for 2023! Tulley’s now has products for dogs in their shop – you can purchase a pumpkin-themed collar, lead or harness from The aDoraBle Pooch Co. as well as tasty treats for your pup.
- When: Tulleys is open from 09:30 am to 5:30 pm and then from 6 pm-to 8:30pm on many dates throughout October, see the Tulleys Pumpkin Farm dates and times on the website.
- Entry: Ticketed (between £6-£8 per adult for the Pumpkin Day sessions and between £10-£12 for the Pumpkin Nights sessions, depending on dates) and then you pay for what you pick. Booking online is essential and slots are selling out fast!
- Where: Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill Rd, Turners Hill, West Sussex – use RH10 4PD for sat navs.
- Getting There: Comprehensive directions can be found here and it’s approximately an hour’s drive from South London. Onsite parking is free.
- Food and drink is available onsite.
- Pumpkin Patch Pup Etiquette: Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times and you should clean up after them.
Milebush Farm – Maidstone, Kent
Milebush Farm in Maidstone, Kent is open daily throughout October and has a Pumpkin Patch you can visit with your pup. Our good friend Pie (@a_slice_of_frenchpie) went to check it out and had a fabulous time, not only helping her humans choose the pumpkins but also saying hello to the farm goats and guinea pigs and generally being made a fuss of by the farm staff. Pumpkins range from £1 to £8 depending on the size you choose. Food and hot drinks are available on-site.
- When: Daily throughout October // 10:00am – 4:00pm
- Where: Shingle Barn Ln, West Farleigh, Maidstone ME15 0PL
- Entry: Free – pay for what you pick. There’s no need to book.
- Getting There By Car: Driving from East London will take you about 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic. If driving, there is car parking available.
- Getting There By Public Transport: Pie and her humans travelled to Milebush Farm by public transport from Stratford International to Strood and changing trains to East Farleigh. You can then take a bus service but unfortunately, it’s not very regular, so you can walk (for about 45 minutes) through some beautiful country lanes, making friends with horses, donkeys and sheep along the way. Pie’s humans told us that there are sections without pavements where you’re walking along the road/grass verges so be aware of this. The whole journey on public transport took about 2.5 hours from East London.
- Pumpkin Patch Pup Etiquette: Please keep your dog on a lead and clean up after them.
Pie’s Top Tip: My humans would recommend visiting The Horseshoes Pub in East Farleigh while you’re there. The Horseshoes is about a 20-minute walk or 5-minute drive from Milebush Farm, is dog friendly (obviously), with a cosy old-school English pub interior and even has its own separate vegan menu.
Meopham PYO – Meopham, Kent
Meopham PYO is on Broomfield Farm in (you guessed it), Meopham, Kent. This family-run farm offers several PYO opportunities for different fruits and vegetables throughout the year, with Pumpkins being the ones we’re interested in. Meopham is a dog-friendly farm and there is also a tearoom on-site.
- When: Saturdays and Sundays in October, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Where: Meopham PYO, Broomfield Fruit Farm, Ifield Road, Meopham, Kent, DA13 0QH
- Entry: Free – pay for what you pick. There’s no need to book, and everything you pick is charged at a price per kg. Please bring your own bags or boxes with you to take the pumpkins away.
- Getting There: Take the train from London Victoria) towards Ramsgate, to Meopham then the 306 bus. Depending on which train you take, the journey will take between 1 hour to 1 hour 20 mins. If driving, there is free car parking on-site
- Food and Drink: BBQ available this year! As well as the White Finch tea rooms which will be open 9 am until 3 p.m.
- Pumpkin Patch Pup Etiquette: Please keep your dog on a lead and clean up after them
Pumpkin Jim’s – Ickleton, Cambridge
A good option for North Londoners is Pumpkin Jim’s in Ickleton near Cambridge which is open for ten days for their ‘Big Pumpkin Pick’.
- When: 21st-29th October 2023 // 10:00am – 3:00pm
- Where: Grange Road, Ickleton, Cambridge CB10 1TA
- Entry: £1.80 for a two-hour slot – pay for what you pick – booking online is essential and tickets are selling out fast!
- Getting There: Accessible by car with free parking onsite, circa 1 hour 15 minutes from North London
- Pumpkin Patch Pup Etiquette: Please keep your dog on a lead and clean up after them
Hatter’s Farm – Bishop’s Stortford
Another good option for North Londoners (or for those in Essex or Hertfordshire) is Hatter’s Farm in Bishop’s Stortford, which is open on the 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th, and 21st to 29th of October 2023. New for this year will be Hatter’s Fun House (included in the ticket) which is a spooky clown-themed walkway.
Hatter’s Farm offers both day and night sessions, with thousands of pumpkins and squash at their Pumpkin Patch for you to come and choose from. The Pumpkin Nights events will be open on the 21st to 23rd and 26th to 29th of October 2023.
- When: 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th, and 21st to 29th of October 2023
- Entry: £2-£4 for the Pumpkin Day sessions and £5 for the Pumpkin Night sessions – pay for what you pick, booking online is essential
- Where: Hatter’s Farm, Takeley, Bishop’s Stortford, CM22 6NP
- Getting There: accessible by car with free parking onsite, circa 1 hour 15 minutes from North London
- Food & Drink: You are welcome to bring your own and there will be food & drink available to purchase
- Pumpkin Patch Pup Etiquette: Please keep your dog on a lead and clean up after them
Undley Farm Pumpkin Patch – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
***Unfortunately Undley Farm is CLOSED for the 2023 Pumpkin Patch Season but will be back for 2024***
Boasting over 20 varieties of pumpkins to pick, and with thousands of them on offer, Undley Farm Pumpkin Patch may be a bit further away this is another option for North Londoners. Undley Farm is also very vocal about its dog-friendly policy which we love.
- When: Saturdays and Sundays in October 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Entry: Free – pay for what you pick, booking online is essential
- Where: Pumpkin Patch & Maize Maze, Undley Road, Beck Row, IP28 8BX
- Getting There: Accessible by car with free parking onsite, circa 1 hour 45 minutes from North London
- Pumpkin Patch Pup Etiquette: Please keep your dog on a lead and clean up after them
Top Tips for Taking Your Dog to a Pumpkin Patch
If you’re going to be taking your pup along to a pumpkin patch then here are our top tips…
- Pumpkin Patches are popular with children and families so if your pup is nervous in those situations, perhaps avoid weekends and the half-term week for your visit as these times will be busier than normal.
- All the dog-friendly Pumpkin Patches ask you to keep your dog on a lead so for photos, choose a lead that will complement your pictures…colour co-ordination with orange is key!
- Add some pumpkin flair to your photos with a bandana or bow tie, but please only dress up your dog in costumes if they are comfortable with this.
