College Farm facts for kids
College Farm is a special place in Finchley, located in the London Borough of Barnet. It's the only farm site left in Finchley! Today, it operates as a store that sells things for horses and pets. You can find it on Regents Park Road, near a busy intersection called Henlys Corner. Two streets, Allandale Avenue and Fitzalan Road, run right next to it.
Contents
The Story of College Farm
How College Farm Began
Back in 1868, a man named George Barham leased a farm called Sheephouse Farm. He was the person who started a famous company called Express Dairies. The farm was quite large, about 97 acres.
Around 1882 or 1883, George Barham decided to rebuild the farm. He wanted it to be a very modern and efficient dairy farm, which was called a "model farm" back then. He renamed it College Farm because it was close to Christ's College.
From Farm to Fun Place
By the early 1900s, Express Dairies realized that running College Farm as a traditional farm wasn't making enough money. So, in 1909, they decided to change it into a place where people could visit! They kept the main farm buildings and some nearby fields.
In the 1930s, houses started to be built all around the farm. Even though it was surrounded by homes, College Farm was open to the public. It had nice tea rooms and even a display of old items related to the dairy industry. In the 1950s and 1960s, cows were still kept and milked there by Express Dairies.
Changes Over the Years
Express Dairies left College Farm in 1973, and the dairy museum was closed down.
In 1974, the government bought the farm. They planned to give it to the London Borough of Barnet. From 1980, a couple named Chris and Jane Ower leased the farm. They ran it as a very popular local attraction. However, in February 2001, the farm had to close because of rules put in place during the foot-and-mouth outbreak, which was a serious animal disease.
Later, in 2004, Chris Ower and some local people created the College Farm Trust. Their goal was to reopen the farm as a visitor center. The Trust now owns the entire site. They are working to raise money to open it to the public again.
Why College Farm is Important
College Farm is not just an old farm; it's also a special place for nature. It's known as a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. This means it's a valuable area for local wildlife and plants.
The farm also has an old silo, which is a tall structure used to store grain. This silo is a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
