St Werburghs City Farm
History of St Werburghs City Farm
Watercress beds once covered the main site of the farm, until they made way for a street of terraced houses in 1910. When a storm drain was built under Mina Road in the 1960's, explosions during its construction damaged the foundations of the houses. During the 1970's the street became derelict and the houses were pulled down. In 1980 a group of local residents decided to put the land to good use. They enlisted the support of Bristol City Council and established the City Farm. The idea was to involve local people in the running of a working livestock farm, to sell the produce and to provide space and equipment for a range of recreational and educational activities, particularly for disadvantaged people. The Farm has grown over the years with new areas of land being leased, buildings constructed and new services developed.
"Narroways" is an additional eight acre site that includes our community garden on Mina Road. In 1987 we leased the land from British Rail to open it up for public use and protect it from future development. In 1996 we started the Narroways Action Group to involve local people in its long-term protection and management as a nature reserve. British Rail planned to sell the land at auction in 1997 but due to our successful lobbying, protesting and fundraising it was saved for community use. Thanks to the support of hundreds of local people and a grant of £30,000 we got from 'SWEET' to re-fence the site, Bristol City Council were persuaded to buy the land. The Narroways Action Group became a registered charity - the Narroways Millennium Green Trust - and it now has a 999 year lease. Their registered office is at the Farm. The Farm has a sub-lease from the NMGT for 999 years at a peppercorn rent for the Community Garden on Mina Road.
Wildlife sightings on Narroways have included pipistrelle bats, grass snakes, badgers, buzzards, sparrowhawks, kestrels, green woodpeckers, dark bush crickets and many other interesting species, including some rare ones.
In 2001 the Council offered us the use of a new area of land on Boiling Wells Lane, which we accepted. It is about two acres, on a hill and bounded by a stream, an agricultural smallholding and back gardens. Much work was done to clear derelict buildings and rubbish from the site. Young people have been involved in regular activities on site: wood carving, step and bench building, tree planting, etc., and we have held some very successful community events there, including Apple Days, May Days, Wassails, etc. In 2006 the construction of a wooden barn was completed for use as a workshop space.
In 2003 we started renting three allotments from the Ashley Vale Allotment Association. Farm volunteers built a path and stock-proof fencing to create four new paddocks for our livestock to gambol in.
In 2004 our lease from the council for the main site, Watercress Road, was renewed for forty years for a peppercorn rent, and includes the Boiling Wells Lane site.
In April 2007 we started an exciting two year project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund which will, amongst other things, develop an amphitheatre at the Boiling Wells site for use as an outdoor teaching and performance space.