Slap-bang in the centre of the capital, Vauxhall City Farm began life more than 35 years ago when a group of architects squatting at St Oswald’s Place took over a small vacant plot.
A host of animals including rare-breed goats, alpacas, pigs, sheep, ferrets and numerous birds call the farm home. Clearly it’s popular with kids, and you can book a birthday party package for your little one’s big day. And while the farm is free you can splash out for various meet the animals bolt ons.
Alongside the animals is an ecology garden complete with bog, wormery and stag beetle nursery. The allotment plots grow fruit and veg, from pumpkins and strawberries to edible flowers which are all used in the farm’s cookery workshops. The allotment also grows plants used as dyes for the spinning classes that take place on the farm.
For something a bit more active, hire a pony for the day or learn to ride. There’s also a pretty cool bar named Faith’s Place. And there’s a tenuous Star Wars connection: the farm’s beloved alpacas Ben and Jerry were cast as, well, basically alpaca-like aliens in The Force Awakens (you can briefly see them at the start). However, the duo were getting quite cranky in their old age and moved to a private collection in 2022 – the current alpacas are more Force-adjacent.
Find more urban farms in the capital with our guide to London city farms