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.
This Dog-friendly Pumpkin Patch Guide has been updated for 2021.
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 2021 Pumpkin Patch season after relaxing COVID rules. 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. Plus there are both Pumpkin Day and Pumpkin Night sessions for some extra spookiness! Read all about our visit to Tulleys Pumpkin Patch here.
- When: Tulleys is open from 10am to 5:30pm and then from 6pm-8:30pm on many dates throughout October, see the Tulleys Pumpkin Farm dates and times on the website.
- Entry: Ticketed (between £3-£6 per adult for the Pumpkin Day sessions and between £6-£8 for the Pumpkin Nights sessions, dependant on dates) and then you pay for what you pick. Booking online is essential for the 2021 season 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 approx an hour’s drive from South London.
- 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 recently 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: Saturday’s and Sunday’s in October plus Wednesday 27th-Sunday 31st October 2021 // 10:00am – 4:00pm
- 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 1hour to 1 hour 20 mins. If driving, there is free car parking on site
- 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: 23rd-31st October 2020 // 10:00am – 3:00pm
- Where: Grange Road, Ickleton, Cambridge CB10 1TA
- Entry: Free – pay for what you pick – booking online is essential for the 2021 season 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
Undley Farm Pumpkin Patch – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
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: Saturday’s and Sunday’s in October plus, 23rd – 31st October 2021 // 10:00am – 5:00pm
- Entry: Free – pay for what you pick, booking online is essential for the 2021 season and slots are selling out fast!
- 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 the half-term week for your visit as this 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.
