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Mudchute farm
Mudchute Farm and Park below the Canary Wharf business complex. Photograph: Alamy
Mudchute Farm and Park below the Canary Wharf business complex. Photograph: Alamy

The best city farms

This article is more than 14 years old
You don't need to drag your family to the countryside to let them stroke sheep, feed chickens and ride donkeys. We've picked the ten best urban places that give you a taste of the good life.

Heeley City Farm, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Sheffield, a city that has come a long way since The Full Monty, plays host to a cracking little four-acre farm. Alongside the sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits and what have you, there are more exotic creatures including chipmunks, snakes, tarantulas and degus (think guinea pig but odder). Children under eight have their own playground, while the rather groovy cafe offers inexpensive home cooking with loads of their home grown organic veggies thrown in and an impressive line in cakes.

0114-258 0482, heeleyfarm.org.uk

Mudchute Farm, Isle of Dogs, London

East London is blessed with a swathe of decent city farms but Mudchute – at 32 acres one of the largest in Europe – is arguably the pick of the bunch. The wide range of farm animals is supplemented with llamas, horses, ponies, giant rabbits and ferrets. There's plenty of room to run around, River Cafe-trained chefs on tap, and the pleasingly surreal backdrop of Canary Wharf just in case, with all the bucolic pleasures to be had, you should forget where you are for a moment.

020-7515 5901, mudchute.org

Stoke City Farm, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Poor old Stoke does not get into many top tens but in their city farm they have a real treasure. Tucked into the south-east corner of Bucknall Park, the farm is home to llamas, kune kune pigs, chipmunks and a glorious sweep of domestic fauna. There's also a sensory garden to thrill and tantalise all five senses. For afters, Bucknall Park has a children's playground and, in the summer, a cafe too.

01782 215681, tiny.cc/6abvo

Bath City Farm, Whiteway, Bath, Somerset

Among the free range chickens (look out for the mighty Orpington), goats, fancy ducks, Aberdeen Angus cattle and friendly Tamworth pigs there's a flock of Soay sheep from the remote fastnesses of the Isle of Kilda. Very unusually, you can get in whenever you like – just climb over one of the many stiles or pass through a kissing gate – making it perfect for a visit in the long early summer evenings. For home time, postcards of the animals make great keepsakes.

01225 481269, bathcityfarm.org.uk

Stonebridge City Farm, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

A tiny oasis in the urban backstreets of Nottingham, Stonebridge may not have a lot of elbow room but they pack a lot in. Alongside the lambs, rabbits (Lionheads and floppy Dutch Lops), bee hives, crop circle (a round plot of crops rather than anything more extra-terrestrial), pond, wormery, cafe and shop, there's still space for a play area for your progeny to whizz about on. There's also a bijou sensory garden that is apparently "an ideal spot to relax and meditate". Good luck with that.

0115 9505113, stonebridgecityfarm.com

Cow with nose ring
Get up close and personal with a cow. Photograph: Alamy

Gorse Hill City Farm, Leicester, Leicestershire

Founded 25 years ago to turn some overgrown allotments into a community farm, the 14-acre smallholding now specialises in rare breeds – their Castlemilk Moorits and Leicester Longwool sheep are so rare they're actually endangered. There are guinea pigs and rabbits to coo over, along with a nature trail and play areas for children including a new toddlers' room with toys to amuse the tinies. Picnickers are welcome, as are trainee sheep strokers.

0116 2537582, gorsehillcityfarm.org.uk

Gorgie City Farm, Edinburgh

A tranquil haven in the Scottish capital, Gorgie boasts no fewer than five different gardens – herb, sensory, wildlife, vegetable and (whisper it) educational. All the usual farm animals and small pets are present, along with an owl, a corn snake called Dougal, chinchillas and husky rats. There's a play park for under 11s, a picnic area, cafe and, just in case you fancy taking a bit of the farm home with you, a produce stall too.

0131-337 4202, gorgiecityfarm.org.uk

Lamont City Farm, Erskine, Renfrewshire

One of the first city farms created north of the border, Lamont has all the animals you would expect to see in a self-respecting urban smallholding including sheep, pigs, goats, horses and ponies. It scores extra points with its excellent weekly kids clubs where children can get hands-on experience of the natural world, and teenagers can discover if a life as a vet is really for them. The very wee ones (under 5s) are catered for too with their own play area.

0141-812 5335, tiny.cc/wLRwg

Swansea Community Farm, Fforestfach, Swansea

Just behind the old Walker's crisp factory are three acres ruled by Rocky, the light Sussex cockerel, and Fluffy, the silver apple yard duck. They're joined by the usual range of farm animals plus rare Welsh pigs and sheep. But the real star-of-the-show is Lottie, a sheep who can undo the latch on her pen. And if you really want to muck in, you can sign up for a family work day (just £1.50 including breakfast and lunch).

01792 578384, swanseacommunityfarm.org.uk

Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran, Monmouthshire

A 250-year-old 150-acre farm, Greenmeadow has found itself gradually encircled by the town of Cwmbran. A wide range of cattle, pigs, goats and sheep (including the ineffably sweet Badger Face) live here, alongside less traditional farmstock such as alpacas, chinchillas, feral cats, ferrets and leopard turtles. There are tractor and trailer rides to be had, a farmhouse cafe serving "kids' favourites" and, best of all, you can feed the animals with fodder available at the farm shop.

01633 647662, greenmeadowcommunityfarm.org.uk

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