Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Stepping Stones Farm |
|---|---|
| Site location | Stepney Way |
| Postcode | E1 3DG |
| What3Words | ///flap.pilots.they |
| Type of Site | Other |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| 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. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2015 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
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.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ358816 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Tower Hamlets, leased to Stepney City Farm |
| Site Management | Stepney City Farm |
| Dates | 1979 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Archaeological Importance |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
This is the former burial ground of the old parish church of St Dunstan and All Saints, whose origins date back to the C7th. The churchyard closed for burials in 1854 and most of the tombstones and headstones were removed between 1885 and 1887 when high ground around the church was dug away. The MPGA then converted the burial ground into a public garden, at a cost of £3,000, and it was opened by the Duchess of Leeds on 18 July 1887.
This was originally an open square with late C18th terraced houses on its north and east sides. It was renamed Trafalgar Square after Nelson's victory of 1805, the first of four such squares in London. By 1813 there were terraced houses on the south side. A circular garden was later replaced by a rectangular garden that opened to the public in 1885 as Trafalgar Square Garden, the name changed to Trafalgar Gardens in 1937. It is now entirely hard paved and used as playground with a block of basketball courts behind high fencing.
Stepney Green Park is on former commonland that was once part of Mile End Green, the largest of several commons in the Manor of Stepney. It was the site of various historic events over the centuries, including the Peasants Revolt in 1381. In the C19th streets of terraced houses were built over much of the area, but were largely demolished following bomb damage in WWII and the LCC Stifford Estate was built in 1958-64 overlooking a new public park, Stepney Green. The 3 17-storey towers were demolished in 1999/2000, and the park was re-landscaped in 2000 as Stepney Green Park. Stepney Clocktower is in a triangular garden adjacent to the park, and was moved here in 1934.
