When it comes to finding a pumpkin patch perfect for pumpkin picking, there’s an overwhelming array of choices in and around Bristol. While they offer the overall adventure of picking pumpkins from a patch, they each have their own unique selling points and standout reasons to visit.
BristolLive recently made a list of some of the biggest and best in Bristol. However, on a recent pumpkin picking trip with the family, I decided to branch out and show you what else lies further afield (quite literally).
On the side of a main road towards Bath, and very near to several other smaller pumpkin patches – as well as the giant that is Avon Valley – I have visited a rather underrated pumpkin patch once or twice before. It sits opposite a Roots Allotments site in Tuckers Meadow, Newton Saint Loe, and is simply known as ‘Bath Pumpkin Patch‘.
Similar to other patches, like the equally simply named ‘Bristol Picking Patch‘ at Glenavon Farm, this one seems to appear out of nowhere, with orange flags marking the entrance as you drive along a busy route into Bath. While it is ‘on the side of a road’, you do have to pre-book tickets, which are free, and there’s plenty of staff directing you into the field, which also sits by the river, and into your parking space.
If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch that feels as though you’re out in the wilderness in the heart of the countryside, away from all the ‘Instagram hotspots’, then this is perfect for you. There are, on that topic however, little areas perfect for photos – a bridge over a road of pumpkins, a little pumpkin house, a witches hut, a giant spider, and a ‘pumpkins’ Hollywood-esque sign, to name but a few.
There are many fields, spanning a great length and packed full of pumpkins and gourds of different varieties – big orange ones, green ones, white ones, the only one I couldn’t find this visit was a warty knucklehead (my favourite). What’s more, you pay for your pumpkins depending on their size – small ones cost £1, bigger ones up to around £15 or so.
You simply head in, grab your wheelbarrow – there were plenty during my visit – and get hunting for pumpkins in the patch. This year, much of the patch site was teeming with pumpkin and other plants, making for much more of a challenge the deeper into the patch you went.
But the whole family had even more fun than we had anticipated, traipsing through the thick vines and plants – and it was even more impressive when one of us found a quirky pumpkin to add to our collection. We found a huge array in the end – and those arriving to the patch after us stared jealously and determined to outdo the colourful pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes in our wheelbarrow.
Back at the main entrance, there’s a collection of food stalls from Newton Farm, a space to eat undercover, games to enjoy, and even a fire pit for toasting marshmallows – you can buy marshmallows and sticks for toasting, but you pay by the stick and marshmallow (around £2 or so), so we only had one marshmallow each (it was delicious and great fun to enjoy toasting marshmallows over an open fire among other families also enjoying the autumnal fun).
Hot food like burgers and chips, and hot and cold drinks, are available from the food stands, as well as chocolate bars and snacks. There’s even a bar for the patch’s evening sessions.
When it comes to other entertainment, a witch delivers a story time on the hour every hour, while a tractor and trailer provide rides around the fields. There’s also face painting, so little ones can become a spooky character, or fight off the fright as the likes of a unicorn.
What’s more, there’s no pressure to buy anything while you’re there, though it does help to keep the event going year on year. And there’s vast space so you won’t find yourself overcrowded – perfect when you want a picture of just your family enjoying a field of pumpkins.
All in all it made for a great Sunday morning autumnal adventure. The young and old of the group enjoyed every minute, and it was a great way to spend a few hours outdoors. The pumpkins we purchased came to around £30 (we put some back in the end to save on money) and are now part of a beautiful family kitchen display.