My top 7 things to do at Sompting Pumpkins

Imagine a field full of pumpkins. Scarecrows guarding the harvest while the sun is shining. That’s literally how it was!

Last weekend literally couldn’t have been a better time for Sompting Pumpkins to open their PYO pumpkin patch for the season. And since I’d never been, I enjoyed it probably just as much as my friend’s kids I went there with.

Obviously the heart of Sompting Pumpkins. The whole field is prepared lovingly by the family who runs the Lychpole Farm. There are over 20 varieties of pumpkins in all different shapes and sizes to discover and pick. There are some as tiny as a toddler’s hand and some as big as a medicine ball.

Access to the field is completely free. There’s a big car park with staff helping with parking and getting around.

On entry, you’re greeted and encouraged to take a wheelbarrow and start your picking tour.

You could probably spend an hour walking the field and choosing your favourite pumpkins to take home, it’s really beautifully done. Massive scarecrows add to the atmosphere and a pumpkin hut serves as a sun shield, a hideout, a photo op, and a pumpkin exhibition.

One of the best instalments on the field was a little hut with a witch and a puzzle. A sign at the house tells you all the things you can find inside – it’s been done with so much love and attention. I was really impressed and my friend’s kids loved the witch’s house!

Sadly we missed the tractor – with a poorly toddler we didn’t want to wait and join the queue for the tractor but I can imagine that sitting up high and exploring the fields and the farm from a new perspective would be an amazing treat for your kids. It’s totally free to go on the tractor ride by the way.

Obviously, this is the main goal – bringing home some delicious, locally grown pumpkins. The staff will measure your picks by size with pricing starting from as little as £1.

And the best thing is that the owners of the farm obviously know best how to prepare their fruit and share their favourite recipes with you. There are some printouts to take photos of on the field and a few more suggestions are on the Sompting Pumpkins website.

But make sure you leave a few pumpkins to make some Halloween decorations!

This suggestion might surprise you, coming from a documentary family photographer but I understand that sometimes we just want a standard posed group shot and that’s totally fine. Even during my documentary family photo sessions, I ask if that’s something you’d want. Most of my clients aren’t fussed about it but if you have a prop like these fantastic fellas on the patch, how could you not take a group shot?

We all know coffee is a must – and that’s absolutely taken care of by one of the vendors. But if you hang around long enough with your family, you might get hungry too.

I’m not sure if the food vendors change every weekend but the burger and BBQ street vendor Ditch Brisket really impressed my foodie friends with their burgers. There are other vendors too offering loaded fries by Worthing-based company Summit Tasty, Pizza, ice cream, soft drinks and pastries.

My friend’s son picked a zombie face and his little sister got scared and worried about what was being done to her big brother. That’s how amazing the face paint looked!

Pink’s paints are set up in the marquee where you can hide from the weather if needed and sit down to enjoy your food while your kid gets a scary makeover for £5.