SITE DETAILS

Stepney City Farm and Rural Arts Centre

Tower Hamlets


Stepney City Farm with St Dunstan's Church in distance, June 2015. Photograph Sally Williams > Enlarge picture	Stepping Stones Farm was established by local people in 1979 on a derelict site in Stepney that had suffered WWII bombing. The name was changed to Stepney City Farm in 2009 when a new charity was established to rescue the farm from closure. Local people continue to take an active part in the farm, and in 2012 the charity was granted a 10 year lease by LB Tower Hamlets. In addition to being a working farm, there have been allotments here since the early days, and there are garden areas on the site. A Rural Arts Centre opened in 2013.

Previous / Other name:	Stepping Stones Farm
Site location:	Stepney Way
Postcode:	E1 3DG
Type of site:	Other
Date(s):	1979
Designer(s):
Listed structures:
Borough:	Tower Hamlets
Site ownership:	LB Tower Hamlets, leased to Stepney City Farm
Site management:	Stepney City Farm
Open to public?	Yes
Opening times:	10am-4pm Tues-Sun (Café open 9.30am-2.30pm Wed-Fri and 10am-4pm Sat/Sun)
Special conditions:	only assistance dogs permitted
Facilities:	Café and farm shop, toilets. Rural Arts Centre with gallery. Education
Events:	Various events, educational activities and Saturday Farmers' Market
Public transport:	Tube: Stepney Green (District, Hammersmith & City); DLR: Limehouse.

Stepney City Farm, June 2015. Photograph Sally Williams

> Enlarge

The information shown above was correct at the time of the last update 01/06/2015
Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.stepneycityfarm.org

Fuller information:

Since 2011 Crossrail gained planning permission to temporarily occupy part of the farm land as ventilation shafts are being constructed, but the land will revert to the farm when the work is complete. In compensation for this, Crossrail is contributing to a number of improvements on the farm, such as fencing and buildings, construction of a new barn and Rural Arts Centre, which opened in 2013. This provides arts and crafts activities, with studios for 3 artists in residence: a potter, a blacksmith and a woodworker. At present the farm has Jacob sheep, Gloucester Old Spot and Tamworth pigs, Toggenberg goats, chickens, ducks, geese, donkeys, ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits. The farm café won Best Eatery in the 2014 Urban Food Awards. The allotments have existed within the farm site since the early days, early allotment holders needing to clear bomb rubble from their plots.

Sources consulted:

Farm website: www.stepneycityfarm.org.

Grid ref:	TQ358816
Size in hectares:

On EH National Register :	No
EH grade :
Site on EH Heritage at Risk list:
Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:	No
Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:	No

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.
On Local List:
In Conservation Area:	No
Conservation Area name:
Tree Preservation Order:	No
Nature Conservation Area:	No
Green Belt:	No
Metropolitan Open Land:	No
Special Policy Area:	Yes - Area of Archaeological Importance
Other LA designation:

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