Top 5 City Farms in London

You’ll be amazed by the animals waiting to meet you and your children at London’s city farms. Free to visit but welcoming donations, these community-run farms have a wide range of animals your kids will love meeting and feeding, plus cafés and fresh produce on sale. 

Mudchute City Farm

In the heart of the Isle of Dogs, with the backdrop of the Canary Wharf skyscrapers, you’ll find 32 acres of fields populated by friendly sheep, goats, cows, llamas, donkeys, pigs and chickens. Inside the courtyards, there are adorable rabbits and guinea pigs waiting to meet you, plus aviaries of colourful exotic birds. The Mudchute Kitchen sells home-cooked food and has indoor and outdoor seating. The site has a rich history, with World War II bunkers used to house the animals and an Ack Ack gun situated near the chicken enclosure.

Surrey Docks Farm

Located on the Thames Path in peaceful Surrey Quays, this historic site features a yard where your kids can get up close with the inquisitive goats, or stand on a walkway above the yard and feed them. Other animal residents include cows, pigs, donkeys, a Shetland pony, geese and chickens. In spring, there are opportunities to bottle-feed lambs. The site also has a riverside café, fruit and vegetable plots, a wildlife pond and a working forge. At low tide, there are stairs that lead down to the Thames foreshore, with views across to Canary Wharf. 

Freightliners Farm

Named after the old railway carriages originally used to house the animals, which are still used by the stunning golden pheasants, this Islington-based farm packs a lot into a small space. Rare breed Golden Guernsey goats, sheep, cows and chickens are waiting to meet your family. Explore the gardens to see fruit and vegetables growing and then visit the vegetarian café to sample the freshly cooked food, made with produce grown on-site. 

Spitalfields City Farm

Just off bustling Brick Lane, this farm is home to sheep, rare breed pigs, goats, donkeys, ducks, geese, chickens, and a host of cute small animals. Watch the cheeky goats playing on old playground equipment while the sheep relax under palm trees. Explore the gardens and learn about where fruit and vegetables come from. A cafe and small shop sell freshly cooked food and produce. Look out for the farm cats nimbly climbing in and out of the other animals’ enclosures.

Crystal Palace Farm

The dinosaurs aren’t the only animals you can see in Crystal Palace Park. There’s a farm, run by Capel Manor College, which is open to the public. Meet the goats, sheep, ponies, geese and alpacas. Visit the exotic animals room, where kids will be fascinated by snakes, turtles, chameleons, iguanas, fish and insects. There’s even a meerkat enclosure, where children can see these popular creatures keeping watch over their burrows. 

If you’re looking for some great city farms in London for children, the list above will provide many hours of entertainment, memories and photo opportunities for the whole family.

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