Surrey Quays SE16Surrey Docks Farm is our local London community farm on the Rotherhithe peninsula. The farm is playing an important role in the local community and offers an easy way for kids to explore farm life. Located attractively on the south bank Thames foreshore, this is one of our most popular pitstops along the Thames Path.
Surrey Docks Farm Activities
One of the things that we love about Surrey Docks Farm is all the activities for children. This includes meeting the small animals up close, donkey and pony rides, taking part in a farm holiday club as well as family cooking. Note that many of the activities need pre-booking. Surrey Docks Farm also organises a Christmas fair, spring fair, and a harvest festival in September each year that we always try to visit. There are also school workshops, and the farm supports adults with learning difficulties with projects that involve different types of farming. Activities such as “Plot to Shop” growing vegetables is a really nice way to engage the local community and generate some extra income for the farm.
Attention to animal welfare
All the animals are currently being farmed to free-range standards, and with the many friendly volunteers, we always had a good impression of the animal being taken well care of. This includes the goats occupying the inner farmyard, an eager bunch jumping up on the fences to attract attention. As a side note, the goats can be a bit intimidating for younger children with no experience of farm animals. Also, note that feed bags can be bought in the farm shop for £1.
The stolen piglets
The pigs on the farm are very popular with our kids, especially after the piglets are born. These spotty ginger pigs belong to the old English breed Oxford Sandy & Black. In September 2018 we were devastated after 11 small spotty piglets went mysteriously missing. Whoever snatched the piglets avoided the main routes in and out of the farm to evade being captured on the CCTV, and it still remains an unsolved crime. We were happy to see that security was upgraded to make sure the rare breed stay safe.
Besides the pigs, we enjoy visiting the cows, sheep, donkeys, chicken, ducks and geese on the farm. There is even a small farm shop with eggs, plants and vegetables on sale. It also used to be a cafe on-site which was a very popular hangout for local families having brunch during weekends and from what we understand the farm is currently looking to engage a new business to run the cafe space.
Getting to Surrey Docks Farm:
Tube: Surrey Quays/ Canada Water (Jubilee Line & East London Line).
Bus: 381 – Waterloo to Peckham, get off at Downtown Road. C10 – Victoria to Canada Water – get off at Bryan Road / Surrey Docks Farm.
<Attractions nearby
There are not many family attractions around Rotherhithe, but the Thames Path is great for families protected from the London traffic. We would recommend taking the Thames Path either cycling, scooting or walking from the farm towards Tower Bridge or Greenwich. In Greenwich, you have several child-friendly options like the Maritime Museum or Greenwich Park Playground.
Check the rest of the London City Farms we have rated