Given how popular my visit to Vauxhall City Farm was last week, I thought I’d squeeze another one in this weekend – I decided on a trip to Newham City Farm, which is over in Beckton, an area of East London near the Thames.
This city farm is a little unusual – while it is one of London’s oldest, having been opened in 1977 by Princess Anne no less, up until fairly recently it was actually run by the local council, London Borough of Newham, transferring into the hands of the Community Links charity in 2008.
It’s a great deal bigger than the farm at Vauxhall, and has extensive paddocks that extend into King George VI park. Unfortunately none of the animals are roaming free as yet because its still the winter season – barring the occasional opportunity to stretch their legs, they’ll be staying in their respective stables and pens until a little bit later in the year so that the grass in the paddocks can grow back to sufficient height to feed them throughout the summer.
Newham City Farm has a real abundance of some animals – there are whole broods of chickens and a rafter of turkeys (look that one up – I had to!). Speaking of fowl, they also have a few peacocks and even a black swan amongst all the ducks and geese that live around the farmyard’s pond.
They also have several breeds of pigs, some of the very hairy variety as well as a big pink Yorkshire sow who looks to me like she’s produced quite a few litters in her time and slightly resents the fact! They’re big on horses at Newham too – they have both Shetland and Welsh ponies (the latter is a real beauty with a pinto colouring who is extremely good-natured) and a monumental shire horse, over 17 hands high, who goes by the name of Blaze.
Newham City Farm is a nice spot – ideal for a free trip out with the kids. If I have any criticism, they really could do with a better website! I know that as an important local charity Community Links have other priorities, but it’s a shame that the farm only warrants a single page. There are more photographs from today’s visit here.
We went to Hackney Farm the other day! It was delightful to walk from the bustling streets around London Fields, straight into a little countryside paradise.
Newham’s farm looks great! That sow should be awarded a medal of some sort for its efforts!
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I love city farms – we have a huge number of them in London, seemingly in every Borough. I think my favourite is probably Stepney, because when the season’s right there are sunflowers absolutely everywhere. I had a rather memorable visit with two friends of mine once – one of them has a rather striking ginger beard, and wee came across a big ginger sow who took an immediate liking to him – she was snorting and wagging her little tale like crazy! If she’d been able to get out of the pen I think she would have followed him home
Thanks for this! I’ll be in the LDN next month, and while I knew of Vauxhall City Farm, I didn’t know of this one!
Julia, I found it quite quiet, although it was a very wet Saturday lunchtime! The easiest way to get there is to jump on a 300 bus from Canning Town tube/DLR station.
Haha – that is a brilliant story!
‘Bringing home the bacon!’
Henry recently posted..Last Night A Speed Date Changed My Life
I’m not sure that’s what the sow had in mind to be honest – I think she was really wanting more ginger piglets o_O