It’s been 50 years since the first city farm was established and their role in providing a haven for nature continues to grow
I’M LOOKING DOWN at giants –a beech tree avenue that is at least 180 years old. The lime green leaves have created a spectacular show, and clusters of bluebells add a seasonal splash of colour. I can just make out the sound of corner of my eye I see a great faint tapping and out of the spotted woodpecker. As I make my way down the steep hillside, a speckled wood butterfly glides in front of me and I catch the excited sounds of a group of children pond-dipping for newts and toads.
Suddenly, the stillness of the spring morning is broken by a train making its way from Bristol to London. I’m wandering the one-mile trail at Bath City Farm and it’s a real wildlife treat. One of 50 city farms across the UK, this 37-acre haven is a wonderful example of why these places matter for wildlife in urban landscapes.
City farms are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Kentish Town was the first to open its doors, in October 1972. Only 5km as the crow flies from central London, it’s squeezed between two railway lines and dense rows of housing in Camden.
The original idea of a city farm was a simple one: take a small piece of land and use food production and farming as a way to connect communities. Following the founding of Kentish Town, city farms started to pop up all over the UK. Green oases in landscapes of tarmac, concrete and steel, city farms became places where children who might rarely visit the countryside could see a cow close-up, collect eggs from the hens and connect with nature.
All urban green spaces matter for wildlife, but city farms offer a bit extra in terms of the habitats they can squeeze into a space not much larger than a football pitch. They may be small (the UK’s largest, Woodlands Farm in Greenwich, is 89 acres) yet they play a key role in reversing some of the species and habitat loss that we’re seeing.
“City farms can be hugely important for urban wildlife,” says ecologist Peter Brash.
“The mix of habitats and the grazing animals can provide something missing from other green spaces, such as parks.”
Amy Coulthard, director for nature recovery at Avon Wildlife Trust, agrees. “City Farms provide green infrastructure in towns and cities that’s vital, acting as homes for nature and places that can inspire people to connect with wildlife.”
Traditional mixed farms, which raise livestock and grow crops, were once a common sight in the countryside, but the decline of the smaller farm has seen a decrease in number. Mixed farms bring great benefits to wildlife and have been replicated in city farms. Lightly grazed meadows burst with wildflowers such as oxeye daisy and cuckooflower in summer; orchards are homes to mistle thrushes, lesser-spotted woodpeckers and bats; while farm buildings provide nesting sites for swifts and blue tits.
Set up in the 1990s, Bath City Farm is visible from the famous Royal Crescent. Most visitors spend their time getting to know the goats and Shetland ponies, but surveys reveal why the farmland is so important for wild animals. Photographer and ecologist Mike Williams has been recording the species at the farm for five years. “For me, it’s the abundance of species found at city farms, rather than the potential for rarer wildlife, that’s really important. In cities, these places might offer the only decent patch of green space for miles. They can act as reservoirs for many species.”
Mike’s list currently exceeds 700, and includes 21 species of butterfly (ringlets and the Essex skipper among them) and 17 types of fungi (including King Alfred’s cakes and veiled oyster). New species turn up every year. A red kite was recorded for the first time in 2021, while the alder leaf beetle and Roesel’s bush crickets have become relatively common sights on the grassland.
Increasingly, the work of city farms is moving beyond the confines of a small patch nestled in the urban sprawl. Swansea Community Farm (the only city farm in Wales) is not only nurturing farm animals, wildlife areas and allotments, but is also at the heart of a local partnership to improve a rare urban heathland known as Cadle Heath. Donkeys and goats have been loaned out to graze the space into an environment suitable for plants such as devil’s-bit scabious (which attracts the scabious mining bee) and birds, including goldcrests and skylarks.
“Our volunteers have driven our increased focus on conservation work,” says wellbeing officer Katharine Aylett. “After some basic training from Buglife, they’re now more involved in regular wildlife survey work. These new skills have boosted their confidence and created positive connections with the natural world.”
Ecologist Peter seconds the approach of working with partner organisations to help wildlife flourish in cities. “It’s about thinking beyond the boundary,” he says. “We need to consolidate the links from farms to other green and brownfield sites, both within and outside the city.”
For the team at Mudchute, a city farm nestled under the gaze of London’s Canary Wharf, working with partners such as Tower Habitats and Froglife makes total sense. “Six of our native-breed sheep have been helping to graze an area of Green Park, right by Buckingham Palace,” says farm manager Tom Davis. “Now, when you walk through there in summer, it’s humming with insects. It’s helping to raise awareness of what the farm does while also improving biodiversity in the heart of the capital.”
Mudchute has ambitious plans for the wildlife on the 32 acres it manages. It’s one of the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s approved conservation centres and these animals are key to improving areas of parkland and woodland. “Their teeth, hooves and poo will enhance the richness of our farm,” says Tom. “Take some of the willow and hazel coppice – grazing here will open up the area and we’ll see snowdrops and celandines again.”
For Amy, it’s about how city farms can fit into the bigger picture. “There’s a really interesting role that city farms can play as conveners of change to help tackle the ecological emergency,” she says. “This could be as a wild hub where local authorities and wildlife organisations can collaborate to reverse some of the species declines that we’ve seen over the past 30 years, with hedgehogs or house sparrows, for instance.”
In what feels like a pivotal new chapter for city farms, they’re also helping to deepen our connection with nature. This includes supporting volunteers who might be overcoming personal challenges, or visitors for whom a trip to a city farm might be their only experience of a green space. Visitors, like Mike, for example.
Mike’s world was turned upside-down when he was diagnosed with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis). He went from being a busy ecological consultant, travelling around the UK, to being unable to leave his home. “To find myself in a position where I could barely get out of the door was soulcrushing,” he recalls. “But having Bath City Farm nearby was amazing. I had easy access to green space and could keep up my natural history skills at my own pace – and rekindle my passion for wildlife photography.”
Swansea Community Farm seen first-hand the impact being close to nature has on volunteers. One of them has discovered a passion for bees and now spends hours collecting data.
“Many volunteers had little experience of conservation work before coming to the farm,” says Katharine. “But they all quickly recognise the benefits for their wellbeing.”
For Miles Richardson, a professor at the University of Derby who has been researching the importance of our connectedness to nature, city farms can also help people notice nature more. “It’s clear that we have a fundamental and basic need to connect with nature. Yet we’re losing the ability to notice wildlife in our daily lives. For many people living in cities, spending time in green, natural spaces is the exception rather than the norm. That’s why city farms really do matter; they provide places where wildlife can flourish and spaces where volunteers and visitors can have that regular connection with birdsong, butterflies or wildflowers.”
Amy sees another role for city farms – inspiring visitors to think about the relationship between the food they eat and the natural world. “For 50 years, city farms have played a huge role in bringing to life the story of how our food is produced,” she says. “The movement deserves greater recognition for its role in tackling the crisis facing the natural world.”
These much-loved places, which welcome over a million visitors a year, are now on the frontline of efforts to tackle the ecological emergency. Combined, all city farms would cover an area roughly equal to one large farm in the countryside. Yet, collectively, their impact far outweighs their size, by offering habitats that can be at the heart of a movement to rewild our cities and bringing more nature into the lives of the millions of people that live in them.
TOP 10
City farms and the wildlife you can see
1 BALSALL HEATH CITY FARM, Birmingham
A small city farm situated just south of Birmingham’s city centre. Home to foxes and common garden birds, the farm is adding new hedgerows, bug hotels and a pollinator bed to attract more wildlife. @BalsallHeathCF on Facebook
2 GORSE HILL CITY FARM, Leicester
Established by local people in the 1980s, these former allotments cover 20 acres in the west of the city. You can spot buzzards and sparrowhawks, and they’ve seen a big increase in bees and butterflies thanks to nature-friendly planting. gorsehillcityfarm.org.uk
3 ST JAMES CITY FARM, Gloucester
A short walk from the city centre, this city farm is home to rare-breed pigs and sheep, and has a paddock where kids can learn to ride horses. You can spot sweet violets, grey wagtails and comma butterflies. stjamescityfarm.co.uk
4 HACKNEY CITY FARM, London
A city farm that packs a real punch in terms of habitats within a small area. There’s everything from a woodland to allotments. You can spot bluebells, stag beetles and dove’s foot cranesbill. hackneycityfarm.co.uk
5 MEANWOOD VALLEY URBAN FARM, Leeds
Opened in 1980 near the centre of Leeds, Meanwood has a long history of farming and a range of habitats, from woodland to pasture, plus a stream running through its heart. You can spot kestrels on the farm, and smooth newts and white-clawed crayfish in the stream. mvuf.org.uk
6 LOVE GORGIE FARM, Edinburgh
Only a couple of kilometres walk from the city centre, this city farm is on a former derelict site that was saved by the local community and turned into a treasured green space. You can spot red campion, hedgehogs and tree bumblebees. lovegorgiefarm.org.uk
7 OUSEBURN FARM, Newcastle
This community-run farm was set up in the 1970s by local parents who wanted their children to experience nature and growing food. It’s a short walk from the River Tyne in the heart of the city and you can spot kingfishers, southern hawker dragonflies and even an otter in the river. ouseburnfarm.org.uk
8 OXFORD CITY FARM, Oxford
A community-run farm in the heart of Oxford on a once-derelict site. Volunteers learn new growing and cooking skills as connecting people with nature is central to life here. You can spot green woodpeckers, honeybees and foxes. oxfordcityfarm.org.uk
9 SPITALFIELDS CITY FARM, London
Situated on the site of a former railway goods yard, the farm has been welcoming Londoners since 1978. The 1.3 acres has a dedicated wildlife garden and has become a haven for wildflowers. You can spot evening primrose, great crested newts and small red damselfly. spitalfieldscityfarm.org
10 ST WERBURGH’S CITY FARM, Bristol
An 18-acre oasis in north-east Bristol, spread across a number of sites, connecting local people with farm animals and providing much-needed space to grow food via community allotments. You can spot sparrowhawks, early dog-violet and small tortoiseshells. swcityfarm.co.uk
Biodiversity at Bath City Farm
City farms cram a lot of life into a small space so you’ll find more than just the familiar farm animals and crops. Here are a few of the species you might see on Bath City Farm…
1. BEE FLY
Key insects for pollination. They carry pollen between flowers while using their long tongues to collect nectar.
2. GREAT CRESTED NEWT
These amphibians feed on invertebrates but require a good, clean water source to thrive.
3. GREEN WOODPECKER
Found all over Britain, this bird spends a lot of time on the ground searching for and feeding on ants.
4. WASP SPIDER
Named after its wasp-mimicking colouration, this arachnid is gradually spreading further north and weaving its distinctive orb-shaped webs along the way.
5. IVY BROOMRAPE
A parasitic plant that depends on its host, usually ivy, to provide all the chlorophyl it needs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Collins is a trustee at Bath City Farm, has worked in nature communications for more than 10 years and is a volunteer with his local toad patrol group. You can follow him on Twitter at @mikeyc74.