Pride in positive ranking for farm's 'game-changing' pumpkin patch

Cannon Hall Farm is the only attraction in South Yorkshire to make the list, compiled by Outdoor Toys, with 20,414 posts.

A spokesperson for the brand said interest in visiting was “soaring”, with 889,000 Google searches in the past year.

Tulleys Farm in Crawley, West Sussex topped the board of the UK’s most aesthetically pleasing pumpkin patches for this year's Halloween season with 23,421 Instagram posts.

Cannon Hall Farm director Rob Nicholson said: “Historically for us, it was very difficult to get people to come to Cannon Hall Farm in the autumn or winter, when it is dropping colder and darker.

“We always did well at spring time when we saw new lambs, but autumn used to be a much more difficult proposition.

“The pumpkin festival was a real game-changer for us, and it is absolutely incredible to see how it has grown each year into what it has become today.

“We love nothing more than seeing the kids wheeling the barrows round to choose their pumpkins and I personally take real pride in the fact that we can help them make such special, family memories.

“What’s even more special is that absolutely nothing is wasted - this year we’ve laid bark paths, and those will be swept up and recycled.

“Any pumpkins left at the end will be eaten by the sheep, they will not be wasted.

“It will all go back to the land and the field will graze cattle again in the spring.

“We wouldn’t do it if we couldn’t reuse the consumable materials involved - the straw will go onto the muck heap onto the land to help grow grass and so on.

“Who would have thought there was a thing like this when we were young?

“When I was a lad you had to struggle to carve a turnip, share it between us brothers and then eat it when you were done.

“It really is fantastic to hear so many people are talking about our patch in such a positive way."