And London’s farms offer more than the chance to meet, feed and (sometimes) cuddle animals. Many are also great places to learn about important subjects such as climate change and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article was updated on 15 April 2026.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Though smaller than the farms you\u2019ll find in the countryside, you can often expect to spend up to a few hours at a city farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many farms in London also run seasonal activities to make your visit even more special. The lambing season, for instance, peaks from February to April. So that\u2019s the best time to visit a farm if you\u2019re hoping to meet or bottle-feed a newborn lamb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You nearly always need to pre-book these experiences, though, and be warned: they sell out fast. Signing up to the Loopla newsletter<\/a> can help you stay ahead of the curve here (in March, we even rounded up a bunch of baby lamb bottle-feeding sessions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the London farms you\u2019ll find on this list are free but encourage donations to help with running costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Kentish Town, NW5<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Daily, 9am – 5pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having opened in 1972, Kentish Town City Farm<\/a> is said to be the UK\u2019s first city farm. What makes it especially lovely for families is that it offers more than a quick wander past the animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kids can meet farm favourite Shirley the Cow, or enjoy an animal handling session with guinea pig trio Pickle, Peanut and Parsley. For youngsters who are particularly passionate about animals, they also run Young Farmer and Pet Club programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Golders Hill Park, NW3<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Daily, in line with park hours; 7.30am – 8pm from 29 Mar to 12 Apr 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Golders Hill Park Zoo<\/a> isn’t technically a farm. But if you’re in the Hampstead area with kids who love animals, it’s a fantastic place to spend an hour or so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This little zoo is home to a variety of animals, including deer, chickens, wallabies, an eagle owl and more. It’s the perfect stop if you’re looking for a quiet, family-friendly spot with easy access to beautiful green spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You also have the Hill Garden and Pergola nearby, one of the most stunning \u2018secret\u2019 gardens in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Islington, N7<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Monday 10.30am – 4.30pm, Tuesday closed, Wednesday – Sunday 10.30am – 4.30pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freightliners City Farm<\/a> is a sizeable community farm in the heart of Islington that draws over 40,000 visitors a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As well as being home to cute animals, the farm often runs special crafts and storytelling sessions for kids. Last February, for example, they put on a special puppet show with support from the nearby Little Angel Theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location<\/strong>: Spitalfields, E1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price<\/strong>: Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 4.30pm in summer, 10am – 4.00pm in winter<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spitalfields City Farm<\/a> has one of the most striking urban settings of all farms in London, sitting just off the bustling Brick Lane on Buxton Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During school holidays, they often run activities aimed at ages 2 to 12. For example, at Easter, kids got to enjoy an interactive storytelling session involving hens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Hackney, E2<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times:<\/strong> Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 4.30pm; closed Mondays except bank holidays<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having opened in 1984 on the site of a former Victorian brewery, Hackney City Farm<\/a> is all about community and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kids can take part in fun activities like gardening, animal care, and even cooking. It\u2019s a great way to show little ones where food comes from and how farming works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The farm itself is home to cows, goats, chickens and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Isle of Dogs, E14<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free (donations welcome)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Farm open daily, 9am – 4pm (animals go in at 3pm and pets corner is closed on Mondays)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Located on the Isle of Dogs, Mudchute Park & Farm<\/a> is one of London\u2019s hidden gems. This is a strange thing to say because it\u2019s actually one of the biggest city farms in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With over 32 acres to explore, there\u2019s plenty of room for kids to roam around, meeting goats, rabbits and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They also host a bunch of special seasonal activities throughout the year. These include donkey rides in spring and summer, plus the chance to become a farmer for a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Rotherhithe, SE16<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Daily, 10am – 4pm, including bank holidays<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surrey Docks Farm<\/a> is rich in history. Formerly a wharf, the site has served seven different purposes over the last 300 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nowadays, it\u2019s a working city farm that teaches the local community about food production and farming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They also run animal sessions with ponies, sheep and small animals aimed at kids aged six and up. For younger children, they offer sessions with ferret trio Thor, Loki and Apollo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Stepney, E1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free (donations welcome \u2013 \u00a310 could feed the rabbits for a week!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm; closed Mondays except bank holidays<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stepney City Farm<\/a> is a 4.5-acre working farm in Tower Hamlets. You\u2019ll get to meet sheep, goats, pigs and donkeys there, but the Saturday farmers\u2019 market is what sets it apart. That and the farm\u2019s cafe, Stepney\u2019s. A recent Times<\/a> review for it said, \u201cIts existence helps you believe in magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Vauxhall City Farm, SE11<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free, with a suggested donation of \u00a34<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Tuesday – Sunday, 10.30am – 4pm, last entry 3.45pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vauxhall City Farm<\/a> is the most central of all farms in London, just minutes away from the Thames and Westminster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a great place to visit during school holidays in particular, as the team is also one of the most active when it comes to events. At various points of the year, they run special craft sessions and trails, as well as a Young Farmers Week where kids can muck out and feed the animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a more relaxing activity, there are Cuddle Corner sessions with cute animals such as rabbits and chickens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Deen City Farm, SW19<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free (recommended donation of \u00a33 pp)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Tuesday – Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10am – 4.30pm, (last admission 4pm)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deen City Farm<\/a> is a five-acre working farm in south London that also has its own riding school. As such, it should appeal more to families with kids who have their heart set on a pony ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another unique service is their animal boarding, where they promise a relaxing stay for certain pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location: <\/strong>Crystal Palace Park Farm, SE19<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price: <\/strong>Free (donations welcome)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times: <\/strong>Daily 12pm – 3.30pm, excluding Wednesdays; also open on bank holidays<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crystal Palace Park Farm<\/a> has the advantage of sitting inside one of London\u2019s most characterful parks, close to both the Dinosaur Park and the National Sports Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s run by Capel Manor College, making it a good choice for older kids considering a career working with animals. For younger children, there are kunekune pigs, alpacas and a reptile room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location:<\/strong> Feltham, TW14<\/p>\n\n\n\n Price:<\/strong> Adult \u00a38.50, child \u00a37, concessions \u00a37.75, family \u00a328<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Times:<\/strong> Daily, 10am – 5pm, last entry 4pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hounslow Urban Farm<\/a> is one of London\u2019s largest urban farms, spread across 4.6 acres. There\u2019s also a wider (and more unusual) range of animals to meet, the cutest probably being their micro pigs. In spring, they also run bottle feeding sessions with baby lambs and calves, though be advised they book up quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to free things to do with kids in London, city farms are just the tip of the iceberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Loopla\u2019s weekly newsletter for parents features roughly 10 free upcoming family events every week. Our 25,000 subscribers also receive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To get all this, visit the Loopla newsletter page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Your nearest farm in London may be closer than you think. One of Europe’s largest city farms is in fact within walking distance of Canary Wharf, while one of our personal favourites is within earshot of Big Ben. This is great news for families, as 74% of kids wish they spent more time in nature.1 … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":6855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-free-fun-london","category-whats-on"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6852"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8944,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6852\/revisions\/8944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What to know before visiting a farm in London<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Farms in North London<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kentish Town City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Golders Hill Park Zoo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Image courtesy of: cityoflondon.gov.uk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freightliners City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Farms in East London<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Spitalfields City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Image courtesy of: spitalfieldscityfarm.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hackney City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Image courtesy of: hackneycityfarm.co.uk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mudchute City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Image courtesy of: mudchute.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surrey Docks Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stepney City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Farms in South London<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Vauxhall City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Image courtesy of: vauxhallcityfarm.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deen City Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Crystal Palace Park Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Farms in West London<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hounslow Urban Farm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Want to hear about free London family events every week?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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