'Massive improvements' in this year's pumpkins, says Herefordshire farm
Ed Godsall runs a pumpkin patch named Pumpkin Pete's with his family and says this year's pumpkins have been "a lot better"
A Herefordshire farm has said they've seen the dry summer had a positive impact on this year's pumpkins.
It's ahead of Halloween next week, with the National Trust reporting last month of 'bumper crops' of orchard fruit as well as pumpkins in its gardens.
The head of business development at 145-year-old Herefordshire cider-making company Westons cider ruled out this year's crop being a bumper one, saying the weather had made the fruit 'very high in sugar', which was good news ,but the fruit was 'slightly small'.
Ed Godsall runs a pumpkin patch named Pumpkin Pete's with his family in Herefordshire near Ledbury alongside their farm.
He says the wet weather last year made it "one of the most challenging seasons to date", but this year the drier weather has really helped.
"When you compare the pumpkins to last year, they're a lot better," he said.
"In fact last year I think they were green up until about two days before we were open which was really concerning but this year with the long hot dry summer we've had, they've been orange from about September onwards.
"I was almost a bit concerned they would be ready a bit too early so I was trying to get pumpkin season brought forward, but they've been holding out well so far."
At the time, the National Trust put the 'bumper' harvest down to a combination of weather factors including last year's wet conditions alongside the warm and dry spring which was followed by plenty of sun this summer.
Ahead of Halloween, it also said despite crops ripening weeks earlier than normal due to the summer weather, pumpkins would still be good for it with 'careful storage'.