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Bognop Road, Essington, Wolverhampton (01902 735724; www.essingtonfarm.co.uk)

EDDISBURY FRUIT FARM, Cheshire

This family-run business, established in 1936, sits on the edge of the Delamere Forest, Cheshire’s largest woodland. The farm offers an impressive harvest of local apples and their by-products, including Cheshire Apple Juice, Cheshire Cider and Cheshire Fruit Wine.

Soft fruits for picking include gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, loganberries, redcurrants and whitecurrants. There are plums, too. The farm hosts the excellent Vale Royal farmers’ market every third Saturday of the month, from 10am to 2pm, so it might be worth visiting on one of those days.

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Yeld Lane, Kelsall, Tarporley (01829 759157; www.eddisbury.co.uk)

GARSONS FRUIT FARM, Esher, Surrey

Garsons claims to be the biggest PYO in the country with up to 40 crops ranging from courgettes and cauliflowers to gooseberries and plums. Blackcurrants, Bramley apples and Cox's are all good now.

There's a farm shop to rival a small supermarket with a particularly good cheese counter and even a restaurant serving dishes made with seasonal farm fare. Regular PYO customers can save money by collecting stamps on a loyalty card scheme.

Winterdown Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8LS (01372 464389; www.garsons.co.uk/Esher/)

A&A FRUIT FARM, Gloucestershire

Located between Cheltenham and Gloucester, this is a child-friendly farm, with trailer rides and farm animals for petting. You can pick very well here, too, as the farm grows 80 varieties of fruit and vegetables. In September, you can expect pick-your-own strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, runner beans and, usually, pumpkins.

However, the A&A recommends that you phone to check on the harvest before you plan to go, as the available produce differs depending on how busy the farm has been and the life cycle of the plants. The award-winning farm shop carries lots of vegetables and fruit throughout the year.

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