Farmer Copleys, Pontefract: We went to the UK’s ‘most instagrammable’ pumpkin patch in Yorkshire - and felt underdressed

The farm in West Yorkshire has been described by co-owner Rob Copley as “probably the largest pumpkin patch in the UK” and he believes they also held the first Pumpkin Festival 18 years ago.

With over 250,000 home-grown pumpkins ready to be picked once again this year, we sent our reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin to try it out.

According to my social media feeds, ‘it wouldn’t be halloween without a pumpkin patch photo.’

Now having five children at home, I have trekked to everything from a muddy garden with a few pumpkins scattered around to entire Halloween adventures which culminate in a pumpkin picking opportunity.

I had previously visited Farmer Copleys several years ago because it really is the pinnacle of pumpkin picking near where I live in Wakefield.

This year we went on the opening weekend, earlier than we ever have done in the pumpkin season, to pick a pumpkin. Except pumpkin picking was only part of the experience.

Previously there had been queues of traffic due to the farm’s popularity but I was relieved that this year there were very few vehicles waiting to get into Ravensknowle Farm on Pontefract Road (WF7 5AF). This is due to a ticketing system which has been implemented to reduce this risk.

It really felt like a well organised festival experience when it came to the parking rather than the usual ‘let’s rock up to a field flogging pumpkins’ trip we have done elsewhere.

We entered using our QR code, tickets cost £6 pp, immersing ourselves into the fun fair style atmosphere with photo opportunities galore. It was a real mix of dressed up influencers ready for a photoshoot alongside families with young children.

I’d put on my scruffs and wellies thinking it would be extremely muddy but instead it was a dry day and people looked extremely glamorous. Others were donned in Halloween themed fancy dress outfits.

As well as the photo stations, there is also a story time cabin with witches - one of whom is co-owner Heather Copley herself.

The kids wanted feeding first from the street food stalls which are independent outlets as part of the festival. I’m personally a fan of the Moo Cafe on the farm but the kids wanted burgers and hot dogs instead. These individually cost between £8-£12 each and £2 for a soft drink.

There was also a range of live entertainment, pay-as-you-go activities such as pottery painting and archery.

After the kids were fed, it was time for the pumpkins which start from the edge of the festival area and continue across the field.

Amongst the pumpkins, there are plenty more photo opportunities set up in case the organic opportunity of posing with the pumpkins didn’t make the grid. The pumpkin displays really have become pieces of art in themselves.

While we did take some nice snaps, our clan was on the hunt for the biggest pumpkin. Fortunately we had put a £10 deposit to hire a wheelbarrow on entering.

The kids enjoyed picking and swapping their pumpkins for bigger ones. My husband and I, who had picked our baby daughter a small one, instead stood near the queue for the tractor rides, waiting with the wheelbarrow. Only to then find ourselves being serenaded by the Joe and Pedro Show. Two male vocalists singing and playing acoustic guitar which really did add to the ambience of the experience.

After a hefty workout getting the pumpkins to the checkout to pay and then to load in the van, the kids returned to the fairground to buy marshmallows which we toasted on the fire which cost £3 for two marshmallows on a stick.

There really is something for all ages with our one-year-old enjoying the stage entertainment, the tweens liked the variety of what I would call glossy versions of wholesome activities such as, toasting marshmallows on a purpose-built campfire, and us adults loved watching the kids pumpkin picking while being entertained by live music in the fields.

We thought we would just go for an hour maximum but instead we spent half the day there.