Stepney City Farm
Babydaytripper likes nothing better than a city farm and so this week we set off to explore the one in Stepney, East London. We found Stepney City farm nestling between urban buildings and a Crossrail construction site, close to the historic St Dunstan’s church, home of the famous “bells of Stepney” in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons.
Read MoreSurrey Docks Farm revisited
This week we took a return trip to Surrey Docks Farm, one of babydaytripper’s first ever day trip destinations, and I was reminded of just how fantastic it is for little children.
Read MoreMudchute Park & Farm
The spotlight has been on East London for the past two weeks, with more visitors exploring the area than ever before. To fill the gaping hole left by the end of the Olympic Games, and before the crowds arrive for the Paralympics, this week’s post is a review of Mudchute Park & Farm on the Isle of Dogs, London’s largest city farm…
Read MoreWhat’s on at the weekend? – 21, 22 July 2012
School holidays have started and the Olympic Torch Relay arrives in London this weekend, sparking a week’s worth of festivities culminating in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games next Friday. Where will you watch the Torch Relay and what else is on this weekend?
Read MoreFreightliners Farm
A recent trip to Islington for lunch with some friends afforded the perfect opportunity for a visit to Freightliners Farm. As it happens, I used to live about 200 metres from this farm many, many years ago, but back then my leisure-time priorities were different and I never made it through the gate. Now, with the little man in tow, it just didn’t seem fair to pass by without having a look.
Read MoreCoram’s Fields
This week we spent a sunny afternoon at Coram’s Fields. Located in the heart of Bloomsbury, Coram’s Fields is a park and playground reserved exclusively for under 16s – in fact, adults are not allowed into the park at all unless accompanied by a child. The park is named after shipwright, sailor and philanthropist, Captain Thomas Coram, who created the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children in the eighteenth century following a long campaign to obtain the necessary Royal Charter (see our review of the Foundling Museum). The Foundling Hospital stood on the site of the present day park until the building was demolished in the 1920s – the land was saved thanks to fundraising and charitable donations so that it could be preserved for the use of children living in or visiting London.
Read MoreHackney City Farm
Pigs, goats, donkeys and sheep, just a few yards from Hackney Road? Yes, that’s right. This week we went to visit the popular Hackney City Farm.
Read MoreBattersea Park and Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
If you read this blog regularly you will know that we generally try to review destinations that are free or have low cost admission. This week, however, our trip coincided with a special occasion and so we decided to splash out on a visit to the (really quite reasonably priced, all things considered) Battersea Park Children’s Zoo.
Read MoreSpitalfields City Farm
Mention Brick Lane and you might be thinking about curries, trendy boutiques, vibrant nightlife or the famous 24-hour bagel shop. Or at least I do, but maybe that’s a sign of a misspent youth. When I’m in the area these days, I’m less likely to be found checking out a new bar, and more likely to be taking a short detour down a side street to the Spitalfields City Farm…
Read MoreCrystal Palace Park
After our successful trip to Greenwich Park a couple of weeks ago, this week we set off to explore another of London’s fantastic, green spaces: Crystal Palace Park. Although the Crystal Palace that gave the area its name is long gone, the Park retains a number of quirky attractions that make it worth a visit.
Read MoreDown on Surrey Docks Farm
The sign at the entrance to Surrey Docks Farm
Who’d have thought you could find pigs, sheep, goats and a whole host of other animals grazing happily on the bank of the Thames with the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf as a backdrop. Well, that’s exactly what you get at the Surrey Docks City Farm. The farm is situated on the south bank of the Thames in Rotherhithe, with views across the river to Canary Wharf. The site may be compact as farms go, but it’s bursting with animals, plants and even a duck pond – a perfect way to give city children the chance to glimpse a bit of the good life without leaving the capital.
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