SEN-friendly Pumpkin Sessions
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
27th Oct
09:00 - 10:00
29th Oct
09:00 - 10:00
Where:
New location for 2026!
Rougham Sunflower and Pumpkin Field
Just south of Junction 45 of the A14,
3 miles east of Bury St Edmunds
Detailed directions with the map below
For your SatNav, use the postcode: IP30 9HX
Pricing:
Free admission and parking.Please book your free ticket for your group (no card needed) to secure your time slot.
Book 1 ticket for your whole group. You don't need 1 ticket for each person. Tickets are free to book
Ticket bookings close on 25th and 27th respectively
Pumpkins are charged individually depending on the size.
75p - £12
Rougham Pumpkins: the SEN-friendly sessions
New for 2026! This year we have ticketed times for 2 SEN-friendly hours in the half term week at the Rougham Pumpkins.
On Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th October between 9am and 10am, the pumpkin patch will only be open to those who have pre-booked tickets to come. These dedicated times are designed to provide a calm, supportive environment for individuals with Special Educational and Sensory Needs. The field will be open as usual to the wider public from 10am onwards on these days.
If you don’t need to come during the SEN-friendly hours, you are welcome to just come along to the Rougham Pumpkin Patch without booking. Find out all the pumpkin details here.
During these dedicated SEN-friendly times, visitor numbers are limited and background noise is reduced. These times are perfect for those who benefit from quieter surroundings, predictable routines and a slower pace. You are welcome to move around freely at the field, take breaks and engage in activities in a way that suits your needs.
The pumpkin patch has wide pathways through the pumpkins and wheelchair-friendly picnic benches. However, please note this is a large field and the ground is uneven after the long, hot sunny weather we have had, but will become muddy if it has recently rained.
Booking
Ticket numbers are limited for each morning session. They are free to book (no card needed) and you can bring helpers and carers with you as you need. When booking, please book 1 ticket per group (not per person) and let us know how many there will be in your group.
Please Note that while we do everything we can to ensure these sessions happen as planned, occasionally circumstances beyond our control may mean we are unable to open on the day. In the unlikely event this happens, we will contact ticket holders as soon as possible to let them know.
Location
The pumpkins are in a new field for 2026 – the same field as the sunflowers were in earlier this year. It’s just south of A14 Junction 45, about the same driving distance as the field last year. See the new location here.
Opening TIMES
On Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th October, between 9am – 10am, the field will only be open to those who have pre-booked a tickets for the special SEN-friendly hours.
Things to do
There is plenty to enjoy with space to picnic including wheelchair-friendly benches, big bale pyramids to climb on, sandpits, football goals (please bring your own footballs), a nature-hunt challenge to keep little ones occupied, pedal tractors as well as lots of fabulous photo opportunities.
Face Painting
Face painting for children aged 3 years and older will be available most days from Face-It Face Painting (£5).
Snacks
Snacks and drinks will be provided by Roots&Co, an outlet of Roots Café, the café located at Blackthorpe Barn, 2 minutes’ drive away.
You are welcome to bring your own picnic with you too.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome in the picnic area of the field. We have made a special little pumpkin patch for dogs; they are not allowed in the main pumpkin field due to having had too much to clean up in previous years.
Please make sure that your dog doesn’t spoil the enjoyment of other visitors at the event or block any passageways.
No Smoking
Please note that the whole pumpkin field is a No Smoking area.
Important information
Please click the “Book Your Hour Time Slot” button or the “Book Now” button to start the booking process.
The ticket is free and you don’t need to give in any card details to secure your ticket, but please do complete the checkout process in order to receive your ticket by email.
If you don’t need to visit during the SEN-friendly hours, you are welcome to come at any other time, no booking needed – just come along!
-
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the picnic area and must be kept on a short lead at all times. There is a separate little pumpkin patch especially for dogs, but due to previously having had to clean up too much mess, no dogs are allowed into the main pumpkin patch. Please bring and use poop-bags.
- We do not recommend buying the pumpkins in the doggy pumpkin patch due to normal dog behaviour.
Cards and Cash are both accepted around the site. Admission and parking are free.
Picnicking is encouraged during the days, with plenty of blanket spots on the grassy area, or use the benches and deckchairs if you prefer.
Picnics are not allowed during the evening events.
Catering will be available, offering coffees, snacks, drinks and ice cream.
Toilet facilities are available near the entrance of the field, including an accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities.
The field is open for wheelchairs and prams, with wide pathways through the pumpkins and wheelchair-friendly picnic benches.
However, please be aware that this is a field and the ground is uneven in places and it can be muddy if it has recently rained. There are woodchips on the ground in places of heavy foot-fall.
Face-painting by the talented Face It Face Painting will be available; £5 per face for ages 3 and above.
Gallery
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Things to Bring
- Wellies if it has been raining and the ground is muddy
- Cash or Card; admission and parking are free, but you may like to buy some pumpkins, a coffee or get your child’s face painted. Card is preferred but cash is accepted
- Gloves for carrying the pumpkins, if you need them
- Camera for taking pictures; tag us @roughamestate
Please Note
We will do our very best to make sure that the pumpkin field is open at the time you have booked. However this is an outdoor field and sometimes weather and other reasons outside our control can mean that the field cannot be opened to the public at certain times.
Should we not be able to open the field for the time you have booked to visit, we will let you know as soon as possible, using the contact details you have given us.
What others say...
Rougham Sunflower and Pumpkin Field, south of A14, Junction 45
On arriving at the Sunflower and Pumpkin Field you will be directed by a member of staff to park; there is ample parking on grass.
The sunflowers and pumpkins are in a new field for 2026
The field is just east of Bury St. Edmunds, easily accessible from the A14 and clearly sign-posted from Junction 45.
From J45, A14 Eastbound Carriageway:
- turn left (first exit) on the roundabout at the end of the A14 slip road
- go under the A14 bridge
- at the T junction turn right, by the white house and entrance to Blackthorpe Barn
- follow this lane for about half a mile until you reach Elderstub Lane on the left
- turn left down Elderstub Lane and the entrance is about 150yds on the right
From the J45, A14 Westbound Carriageway:
- turn right at the end of the A14 slip road
- at the T junction turn right, by the white house and entrance to Blackthorpe Barn
- follow this lane for about half a mile until you reach Elderstub Lane on the left
- turn left down Elderstub Lane and the entrance is about 150yds on the right
You don’t need to book to enter the pumpkin patch, just come along, unless you would like to visit during the SEN-friendly sessions, where you need to book a free ticket.
For the Pumpkins by Torchlight events, you are welcome to just turn up. No booking is needed. However if you would like to take part in the Silent Disco, you will need to book the headsets.
There is no entrance fee – the field is free to visit
Yes, there is plenty of free parking in the field with the sunflowers and pumpkins.
Yes, we have plenty of wheelbarrows.
Please remember to bring your wheelbarrow back to the wheelbarrow park, at the entrance, when you’re done with it, so that someone else can use it.
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome in the picnic area of the pumpkin field.
There is a special little pumpkin patch for dogs, at the entrance to the main patch. We don’t recommend buying these pumpkins due to normal dog behaviour.
Unfortunately, due to having had to clean up after too many dogs, dogs are not allowed inside the main pumpkin patch.
- Please keep your dog under control at all times and ensure that your dog does not disturb other people’s enjoyment of the premises or block any passageways.
We prefer cards, but accept both cards and cash at every payment area on the field, including for the pumpkins, the nature hunt, food and drink and for face-painting.
Yes, there are portaloos at the side of the field in the picnic area. There is also a baby-change unit and an accessible toilet.
Wheelchairs are welcome in the sunflower and pumpkin field. There are wood chippings down at the entrance and in other areas of high footfall, but otherwise the paths are just the earth of the field.
If it has been dry, the earth will be hard and dusty, and may be uneven in places, but if it has been raining, it could well be muddy.
There is an accessible toilet in the picnic area of the field.
Accessible parking is available near the entrance to the field.
If it’s been dry recently, you don’t need any special clothing or footwear to visit the pumpkin field. If it’s been raining recently, the ground may be muddy and you may want to consider wearing wellies. You are welcome to wear fancy dress if you like.
These are times where entrance to the sunflower and pumpkin field is ticketed to limit the number of people visiting. They happen on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9am – 10am and are perfect for those who benefit from quieter surroundings, predictable routines and a slower pace.
During these times only those people with tickets will be given entry.
The general public are welcome to visit after 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with no booking required.
Yes, there is a baby-changing unit in one of the portaloos
Yes, the field is fine for buggies and prams, but please note that it is a field and can be uneven in places. If it’s been raining the ground can get muddy.
The pumpkins are all edible, but the gourds are not. We have a big board up at the field which lists the varieties and whether they are edible or not.
There are some recipes available at the patch, or we have 4 recipes further up this pumpkin web-page.
Yes, we have a recipe for a tasty pumpkin pie at the field, or find one online.
Yes, we have food and drink vendors at the field. Please see the list above. Please keep an eye on this page and on our social media for any updates.
Yes, there are plenty of picnicking spots. Bring a blanket and a picnic, and enjoy your time here.
Unfortunately no picnics are allowed after 5pm, when the evening events start.
Our pumpkins and gourds are all grown right here by Rougham Estate. We don’t import any.
Most of the pumpkins are scattered across the patch exactly where they have grown, waiting to be picked. You can wander amongst them to find your perfect one.
Sometimes we move some around to create features in the field, like gathering them together to make the Pumpkin House.
If your photos are purely for personal use, you are welcome to take as many pictures as you like. Do tag us @roughamestate if you post them – we love to see them!
If you are a professional photographer or are taking pictures for any for-profit/commercial reason, you are required to get a licence for the photoshoot on our private land and book a time to visit. Please see the details on this page.
Drone photography can only be undertaken at a time when the field is not open to the public. Please get in touch to book a time.
Face-painting is for children aged 3 and over.
The cosmetics have only been tested for children of this age and above. Applying the paints to children younger than this could cause a lifetime of allergic reactions.
Unfortunately we don’t have the facilities to bulk-pick pumpkins for events. If you would like to come and pick the pumpkins yourself when we are open, you are welcome to.
Unfortunately we are not able to open the field out-of-hours. The field is generally quieter at the beginning of the morning or later in the afternoon and you may find that these times are suitable for your visit.
The sunflowers and pumpkins are in a new field for 2026. It’s about the same driving distance from J45 on the A14 as the field last year, but this year it’s to the south of the A14.
The field we have used over the past few years needs a rest from growing sunflowers and pumpkins and it’s good for the ground to grow other crops for a while.
After the field closes, a local food charity comes to get a stack of pumpkins to be cooked up to make meals and the rest of the pumpkins are for a local flock of sheep that come and graze the field, eating the pumpkins and fertilising the field for the coming year.
Related Events
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Have you been to Rougham Pumpkins yet? Now is the time to visit (again)!
🎵Saturday 17th 2pm-4pm
Enjoy live music from @megan_rae_music singing both country and Disney songs to join in with. Free entry.
🕺Saturday 17th 6pm-9pm
Pumpkins by Torchlight and the Silent Disco. Free entry, no booking needed to come for the evening. All headsets now booked, but there’ll be a waiting list at the event.
There’s another Silent Disco and Pumpkins by Torchlight on 24th.
Open 9am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday: free entry, free parking, no booking needed.
Games, bale pyramids, room to run and play, thousands of pumpkins, face painting by @faceitfaceart , plenty of photo ops, thousands of pumpkins waiting to be picked.
🍔Look at the huge range of fabulous food here this weekend.
Here both days as well as Saturday evening:
Roots&Co - venison burgers, beef burgers, bagels, baps, crumble, drinks including a bar - cider, lager, wine.
@whatthe_peck - Suffolk-reared fried chicken
@BadBoiBurritos - toasted burritos
@ItsOtisBreading - sourdough toasties
@tikka_tonic - New Delhi style street food
@thecreperieshack - sweet & savoury crepes
@GeeGeeBakes - cheesecakes, milkshakes & coffees
@fullthrottlecoffeeco - coffees
These trucks are here both days this weekend:
@pigs_in - all your pork favourites
@KiernansCoffee - coffees, drinks & snacks at the Pitch in the Patch
Joining us on Sunday 18th:
@greyscoffee_ - coffees and cakes
🎃Find the Pumpkin Patch on Elderstub Lane, Rougham - SatNav IP30 9HX.
Maps and directions on our website.
You are welcome to stay between 5pm-6pm on Saturday but please be aware we will be rearranging the area and you may need to move. The food trucks will close for a break and some will be leaving the patch, so be particularly careful at this time.
On Sunday morning, the Bury St Edmunds half-marathon will be going down Sow Lane from Junction 45, A14, past the entrance to Blackthorpe Barn. Please drive very slowly while runners are there.
The pumpkins are open again 24th-31st Oct every day 9am-5pm, with bookable SEN hours on 27th and 29th.
See you here!🎃
#burystedmunds #suffolkevents #roughamestate
Rougham Pumpkins are open this weekend, 17th & 18th October, and we’re pulling out all the stops.
🎃9am-5pm · Free entry · Free parking · No booking needed
Games, bale pyramids, room to run and play, thousands of pumpkins.
Face painting by @faceitfaceart
🎵Saturday 17th 2pm-4pm
Chill out to live music from the wonderful @Megan_Rae_music
🕺Saturday 17th 6pm-9pm
Enjoy the Pumpkins by Torchlight and boogie on down to the Silent Disco. Free entry, no booking needed to come for the evening, but headsets need to be booked.
Some tickets still available and going fast.
Book via the link in our bio.
🍔Look at the huge range of tasty fabulous food trucks here this weekend.
These are here both days as well as for the evening event:
Roots&Co - bagels, baps, crumble, cakes, drinks including a bar
@whatthe_peck - Suffolk-reared fried chicken
@BadBoiBurritos - toasted burritos
@ItsOtisBreading - sourdough toasties
@TheCreperieShack - sweet & savoury crepes
@GeeGeeBakes - cheesecakes, milkshakes & coffees
@FullThrottleCoffeeCo - coffees
These trucks are here both days this weekend:
@Pigs_In - all your pork favourites
@Tikka_Tonic - New Delhi style street food
@KiernansCoffee - coffees, drinks & snacks by the swing and pyramid at the Pitch in the Patch
Joining us for Sunday 18th only:
@GreysCoffee_ - coffees and cakes
If you are here at 5pm on Saturday and want to stay for the evening, you are welcome to stay until 6pm but please be aware we will be doing some rearranging and you may need to move. The food trucks will close for a break and some will be leaving the patch, so be particularly careful at this time.
🎃Find the Pumpkin Patch on Elderstub Lane, Rougham - SatNav IP30 9HX.
Maps and directions on our website.
🏃On Sunday morning, the Bury St Edmunds half-marathon will be going down Sow Lane from Junction 45, A14, and past the entrance to Blackthorpe Barn. Please drive very slowly while runners are there.
Then the patch is open for the last time, daily from 24th-31st October, with another evening event on the 24th. All the details from our website.
See you soon!
#roughampumpkins #suffolkevents #burystedmunds #suff
5 days to go!
The most wonderful time of the year is getting closer!
This Christmas, we’re inviting you to step inside a story, with beautifully styled rooms, festive treasures and inspiration for making your own Christmas feel special.
From traditional charm to contemporary colour and cosy alpine styling, there’s plenty to discover at Blackthorpe Barn.
Our Christmas Shop opens on Monday 19 October. Start planning your festive visit!
#RoughamEstate #ChristmasAtRougham #ChristmasCountdown
One week today the magic of Christmas arrives at Blackthorpe Barn, here at Rougham Estate. ✨
You’ll be able to step into the story of Christmas as the beautiful old barn comes alive with festive displays, sparkling decorations and inspiration for the season ahead.
Behind the scenes, the elves are doing the finishing touches ready for you to explore and discover those special pieces that make Christmas feel like magic.
The countdown is on!
We can’t wait to welcome you back!
#RoughamEstate #ChristmasAtRougham #ChristmasShop #BlackthorpeBarn SuffolkChristmas
With Weekend 2 of the pumpkins finished, it’s time to think about next weekend’s fun already, and it will be a step-up again 🎃🎉🕺
Yesterday we had @thephonks playing some cool tunes on the Saturday afternoon.
Next Saturday (17th) the brilliant @Megan_Rae_Music will be playing live from 2-4pm.
It’s still free entry, no booking needed. If you want some great autumn festival vibes, come along, enjoy the entertainment while feasting on fabulous food.
Then, why not stay on for Pumpkins by Torchlight and the first of the two famous Rougham Pumpkins Silent Discos this year. From 6pm-9pm the patch will be open for you to search for your pumpkin in the dark. Free entry and no booking needed, but if you want headsets for the silent discos, you need to book these soon (tickets selling fast). Book on our website.
There will be a waiting list for headsets on the night, if you don’t manage to book in advance, and 3 different channels of music playing, with one specifically child-friendly.
If you prefer not to be bothered by music when looking for pumpkins by torchlight, don’t worry - you’ll be surprised at how silent the silent disco really is.
Don’t forget to dress warmly, dress up if you want, pull on your wellies and bring your torches.
Pumpkins by Torchlight is happening on the 17th and 24th October. We can’t wait to see everyone boogying around and having a good time.
These are the food trucks with us next weekend, 17/18 Oct:
Roots&Co - bagels, baps, crumble, cakes, drinks including a bar
@whatthe_peck - Suffolk-reared fried chicken
@BadBoiBurritos - toasted burritos
@Pigs_In - all your pork favourites
@Tikka_Tonic - New Delhi style street food
@TheCreperieShack - sweet & savoury crepes
@ItsOtisBreading - sourdough toasties
@GeeGeeBakes - cheesecakes, milkshakes & coffees
@KiernansCoffee - coffees, drinks & snacks at the Pitch in the Patch
@FullThrottleCoffeeCo - coffees
@GreysCoffee_ - coffees and cakes (Sunday 18th only)
We’ve had a great weekend this weekend - thank you to everyone who visited. 🙌
And we can’t wait to really get this festival going next weekend! 🎃🕺🎉
#roughamestate #roughampumpkins #suffolkevents #burystedmunds
Weekend 2 of Rougham Pumpkins is already here and it’s a good one! Pick your pumpkins from the patch, right where they’ve been growing.
And there’s so much more! Space to run and play games, climb bale pyramids, pedal tractors, sand pits, football goals (bring your own ball)
📣Live music this Saturday afternoon 10th (not 11th as on the slide 🙈) from the fabulous @thephonks (unmute to hear them) 2pm-4pm
Face painting by @faceitfaceart
Enjoy something delicious from these amazing food trucks this weekend:
Roots&Co - bagels, baps, crumble, cakes, drinks including a bar
@whatthe_peck - Suffolk-reared fried chicken
@BadBoiBurritos - toasted burritos
@Pigs_In - all your pork favourites
@Tikka_Tonic - New Delhi style street food
@TheCreperieShack - sweet & savoury crepes (Saturday 10th only)
@GeeGeeBakes - cheesecakes, milkshakes & coffees
@KiernansCoffee - coffees, drinks & snacks by the swing and pyramid at the Pitch in the Patch
@FullThrottleCoffeeCo - coffees (Saturday 10th only)
@greyscoffee_ - coffees and cakes (Sunday 11th only)
Bring your own picnic if you like.
🎃NEW FIELD! The pumpkins are in a new field this year, south of J45, A14 on Elderstub Lane. SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Driving directions in a previous reel, maps and directions on our website
🎃Free entry, free parking, no booking needed
🎃Open 9am-5pm each weekend in October and then daily from 24th to 31st. Open until 9pm on Saturdays 17th and 24th
🎃Find the golden pumpkin and win 1 barrow of pumpkins
🎃Pumpkins by Torchlight and Silent Disco on 17th and 24th October 6pm-9pm. Last headset tickets still available
🎃SEN-hours ticketed-entry only on 27th and 29th October 9am-10am
🎃Well-behaved dogs welcome on a short lead in the picnic area and in a small area of the patch
All the details from our website.
We can’t wait to welcome you to the Pumpkin Festival!!
See you at the patch 🧡
#roughamestate #burystedmunds #suffolkevents #pickyourownpumpkin
Autumn brings plenty of seasonal ingredients that are perfect for preserving, pickling and fermenting.
Chef Rowen Halstead returns with his popular for a hands-on fermentation workshop at Rougham Estate on Saturday 31 October, where you’ll learn new techniques and create two seasonal ferments to take home: spiced pumpkin sauerkraut and orchard fruit kombucha chutney.
If you’ve joined us for one of our previous fermentation workshops, you’ll be pleased to know this is a new workshop with new techniques. Each session uses different seasonal ingredients and explores new recipes and techniques, so there’s always something new to discover.
It’s suitable for beginners and those with a little more experience, with plenty of practical guidance along the way.
Find out more and book your place on the Rougham Estate website.
#RoughamEstate #FermentationWorkshop #Fermentation
A little autumn atmosphere over our fields…
A special scene of mist rising over a field of freshly drilled Winter Barley, with the soft autumn light, we felt was worth a share!
While the countryside is settling into autumn, the farming year is already looking ahead, with the next crops getting established across the Estate.
#RoughamEstate #AutumnAtRougham #WinterBarley
Tag us @RoughamEstate
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