The Pop Up Farm

The Pop Up Farm near Harpenden in Hertfordshire, just off Junction 9 of the M1, is run by the Pigott family, sixth-generation farmers. The farm holds seasonal pick-your-own events: pumpkins in autumn, sunflowers in late summer, and corn at some events. The produce is grown on the farm, either on the pop-up patch or at the family’s main farm. The events are held outdoors.

Entry is by pre-booked timed ticket only, purchased online; tickets are not sold on site and each time slot has a limited number. Prices vary by event, with free tickets for under-2s and separate child and adult tickets. Payment on site is card only. Most visits last between one and three hours.

There is free parking, toilets and baby-changing facilities, and a first aider on site. The Red Shed houses the Pit Stop Cafe, which sells hot and cold drinks, hot food and snacks, including vegan and vegetarian options; food from outside is not allowed. The entrance and car park are wheelchair accessible, though the ground is uneven, and there is limited indoor seating. Dogs are not permitted except assistance dogs, and smoking is prohibited. Events go ahead in all weathers.

What visitors say

October is pumpkin season. Entry is charged per person and pumpkins are paid for separately; one family paid £60 to enter and £35 more for their pumpkins, with wheelbarrows provided. Parking is easy. Kids get hay bale stacks and a maze, a tractor, a piano, games such as noughts and crosses and cornhole, a sandpit and pot painting, plus photo props. Plan for an hour or two. The fields get thick mud. Staff such as Josh are welcoming and enthusiastic. Hot dogs, doughnuts, churros and hot drinks are on sale, though queues build for food and toilets at busy times. Opinions differ on the pumpkins: some find a full patch of good ones, while others find many pre-picked, lying on the ground and rotting, and the combined cost steep. In late summer you pick sunflowers, five per ticket, with photo spots; sweetcorn is also picked. It also hosts events like a summer hoedown and weddings in its barn.