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Vauxhall City Farm - Riding School (http://www.vauxhallcityfarm.org/) |
Designed to teach children about an unspoilt natural environment, the ecology garden is complete with a pond, a bog and a wormery. Sitting in this wild garden, suddenly it seemed very strange that we were only 10 minutes from Central London - but perhaps this distance from the bustling city is what makes city farms such unique experiences.
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Imitating this happy chap who loves the ecology garden |
As we visited the farm at the beginning of March, I was insistent that I wanted to see lambs. In fact, lambs were the only thing I wanted to see - lots and lots of tiny, springy lambs. And these ones did not disappoint. Greeted by a handful of the smiliest, speckliest lambs I've ever seen, they were extremely tame and we were able to stroke them through the bars (but they were much too excitable to hang around for long!)
However, my favourite part of our Vauxhall City Farm visit was the goats. Shameless and relentless, the goats jumped up onto the railings as visitors walked by in hope of a snack! Living in an enclosure with a shifty looking alpaca, the goats were extremely friendly and gentle - genuinely excited to see people, and more than happy to be stroked (...even if it was only triggered by a constant yearning to be fed!) This goat was our favourite, but we weren't quite sure why he only had one horn...
We moved on to see ducks, geese and a turkey gathered around the pond. And next, a couple of happy, snuffly pigs. Finishing off in the vegetable garden, Vauxhall City Farm leads an active horticultural group - with evidence of a multiplicity of different vegetables being grown on the farm.
As well a fantastic collection of really well looked after animals, it was the riding volunteers, and co-operative vegetable gardens that helped give this farm a real community feel. We left, even as visitors, feeling like we'd been part of a really positive local initiative; one which educates as well as entertains, and provides an authentic rural experience for those living in an urban centre.