College Farm
Encyclopedia
College Farm, a city farm and visitor attraction, is the last farm in Finchley
, London
. It is located in Regents Park Road, close to Henlys Corner. In 1868 George Barham, founder of Express Dairies, leased Sheephouse Farm, a property of about 97 acres (392,545.4 m²) in Finchley. In 1882/83 he had it rebuilt by Fredrick Chancellor as a model dairy farm, renaming it College Farm after the nearby Christ's College Finchley
.
By the 1900s the company believed that the farm was not viable as a real farm, so it was decided to adapt it to become a visitor attraction in 1909, buying out the lease on the property of the farm buildings, and retaining a handful of the adjacent fields from the original estate. By the 1930s the residue of the farm was surrounded by houses, and was open to the public, with tea rooms and an exhibition of objects related to the dairy industry. In 1973 the Express Dairy company left the site, and the dairy museum was broken up.
In 1974 the Department of the Environment purchased the estate with the intention of giving it to the London Borough of Barnet
in exchange for open land at Henlys Corner needed for a flyover (which was never built). The farm was leased by Chris and Jane Ower, who ran it successfully as a popular local attraction from 1980 until February 2001, when due to the foot and mouth restriction meant the site had to be closed. Chris Ower, with the support of some local residents and friends of the farm, set up the College Farm Trust in 2004 with the intention of re-establishing it as a visitor centre. The Trust now owns the whole site and is currently working hard to raise the funds to reopen to the public. It currently trades as an equestrian and pet store.
College Farm is a Local Nature Reserve
.
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is located in Regents Park Road, close to Henlys Corner. In 1868 George Barham, founder of Express Dairies, leased Sheephouse Farm, a property of about 97 acres (392,545.4 m²) in Finchley. In 1882/83 he had it rebuilt by Fredrick Chancellor as a model dairy farm, renaming it College Farm after the nearby Christ's College Finchley
Christ's College Finchley
Christ's College is a state comprehensive secondary school in East Finchley, London, United Kingdom. It falls under the London Borough of Barnet Local Education Authority. It is a boys' school up to and including Year 11, and the sixth form is mixed, admitting up to 25% girls. The school presently...
.
By the 1900s the company believed that the farm was not viable as a real farm, so it was decided to adapt it to become a visitor attraction in 1909, buying out the lease on the property of the farm buildings, and retaining a handful of the adjacent fields from the original estate. By the 1930s the residue of the farm was surrounded by houses, and was open to the public, with tea rooms and an exhibition of objects related to the dairy industry. In 1973 the Express Dairy company left the site, and the dairy museum was broken up.
In 1974 the Department of the Environment purchased the estate with the intention of giving it to the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
in exchange for open land at Henlys Corner needed for a flyover (which was never built). The farm was leased by Chris and Jane Ower, who ran it successfully as a popular local attraction from 1980 until February 2001, when due to the foot and mouth restriction meant the site had to be closed. Chris Ower, with the support of some local residents and friends of the farm, set up the College Farm Trust in 2004 with the intention of re-establishing it as a visitor centre. The Trust now owns the whole site and is currently working hard to raise the funds to reopen to the public. It currently trades as an equestrian and pet store.
College Farm is a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
.