Kentish Town City Farm will need to temporarily close its horse arena whilst Network Rail carry out vital work on a supporting wall
Network Rail discovered the wall right next to Tottenham Curve tunnel was moving and required excavation from above in order to stabilise the wall and will also need further work carried out before it is fully stable.
Unfortunately, the Kentish Town City Farm will need to close its horse arena so that the work can be carried out safely. Network Rail has committed to completing the work as quickly as possible in order to support the city farm.
Based in the London Borough of Camden, Kentish Town City Farm was the first city farm in the country originally opening its doors in 1972.
The city farm provides learning opportunities and outdoor therapy for children, adults with special needs and anybody in need of a break from city life.
The city farm is a hub for anyone who wants to get their hands dirty and experience the many benefits of working with animals alongside supporting local wildlife.
Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail, said:
“We're really sorry for the impact our work is having on the farm and local residents. The wall next to Tottenham Curve tunnel was moving. To address this, we've been excavating above the tunnel and have managed to stabilise the wall. However there is more work to do on site to fully fix the issue.
“We know how important the farm is to the local community and we will do everything we can to support the farm and complete our work as quickly as possible.”
Eira Gibson, Director of Kentish Town City Farm, said:
“We are absolutely gutted that as we emerge from the pandemic and into our 50th Birthday year, we have had to close part of the site. We understand the essential nature of the work and are thankful that no one – person or animal – has been hurt.
“The closure of the horse arena will be really bad news for lots of people in our community, especially members of our pony club which includes classes for children and young people with disabilities. Before the pandemic, we invested in a hoist so we could extend this provision and were looking to reinstate this activity as soon as possible. Sadly, this incident has meant further delay.
“While this is a huge disappointment, we know we will continue to adapt, evolve and grow back stronger. The support of local people has been central to the farm's survival, and we ask that you bear with us while we understand the full impact of this on our site.
“The farm remains open, and we look forward to welcoming you – for early year's farm fans, many who love seeing the trains as much as the farm animals, for a short time only we have an added attraction of an enormous digger! Come and visit the horses Murphy and Jester and the rest of the animals soon.”
