PIECING TOGETHER OUR PAST

Surrey Docks Farm has been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out a new project exploring the history of the Farm’s site, and we are inviting volunteers to get involved.

This follows on from our successful project in 2013-14, in which we researched the history of the site over the last three centuries and created a history trail.

In this new project, we will focus on events between 1883 – 1940, during which time the site was a Receiving Station for transporting smallpox and fever patients to isolation hospitals downriver. We will also look at how this came to a dramatic end in the Blitz, when the site also served as a wartime River Fire Station.

The project’s activities will include:

Compiling a full year-by-year account of events at the Receiving Station, using the extensive Metropolitan Asylums Board archives. We aim to learn more about how the Receiving Station operated, and discover the human stories of the staff who worked and lived here and the patients who passed through here. The resulting document will be an ongoing resource for ourselves and other researchers.

Reassembling a Metropolitan Asylums Board teaset from the numerous broken crockery fragments that have been found on the Farm’s foreshore. We also have many 1930s fragments from the foreshore that were probably shattered in the Blitz, and will also piece together as many of these as possible.

Researching the recently-rediscovered accounts of heroic rescues from the site during the Blitz, for which several individuals were awarded bravery and gallantry medals, and presenting these stories on a display board.

Creating a mosaic with young people from the Farm’s youth clubs, inspired by the stories we find from the site’s history.

Working with local senior citizens’ groups to explore memories and share new findings and information of how the Blitz affected the site and this area of Rotherhithe.

The project will run from October 2016 until September 2017, and we are looking for volunteers of all ages and abilities to help with the following tasks:

Researching and compiling the full history of the Receiving Station, as well as events on the site during the Blitz. This will involve regular visits to the London Metropolitan Archives, Southwark Local History Library and Wellcome Library. Tasks will include researching, reading, deciphering, editing and typing. Suitable for adults of all ages, from students to senior citizens.

Searching the Farm’s foreshore for crockery fragments from the Receiving Station. Training will be provided, and you will then be encouraged to monitor the foreshore regularly at your own convenience to check for newly-exposed pieces. Suitable for adults and families, ideally living locally or with regular access to the Farm’s foreshore.

Reassembling the crockery fragments. This will be done as a monthly group activity, and is suitable for adults, with accompanied children aged 8+ also welcome.

No knowledge or experience is necessary for any of the above – full training and guidance will be provided, and most activities will be done in small groups. There are also many opportunities for those with relevant skills and experience, or those who like to work independently. Sessions and activities will be at flexible times to fit in with volunteers’ availability, and you can participate as much or as little as you like.

---

Be part of the project

If interested, please contact: Germander Speedwell (Project Co-ordinator) heritage@surreydocksfarm.org.uk

[button link=”mailto:heritage@surreydocksfarm.org.uk” size=“large” icon=”fa-envelope-o” side=”left” target=“blank” color=”a8b7b7″ textcolor=”ffffff”]heritage@surreydocksfarm.org.uk[/button]

[button link=”” size=”default” icon=”fa-phone” side=”left” target=”” color=”a8b7b7″ textcolor=”ffffff”]07955 089936[/button]

For updates on the project’s progress, subscribe to the Farm’s Newsletter  or follow the Farm on Twitter 

---

About Surrey Docks Farm

Surrey Docks Farm is a working city farm in the heart of London. It occupies a beautiful 2.2 acre site on the south bank of the river Thames in Rotherhithe.

The farm is an ideal setting and environment for environmental activities throughout the calendar year. There is always something interesting to see at the farm, no matter what the season or weather.

The farm works with local communities and the people of Southwark to provide many unique opportunities for people to learn about farming, food production, and be actively involved in the ongoing working life of the farm.

Animals reared on the farm include a herd of goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, bees and donkeys. The herds, flocks and swarms are farmed with specific attention to animal welfare at all times.

There are a variety of green and horticultural attractions at Surrey Docks Farm. We have an orchard, herb garden, dye garden, vegetable plots, and the wildlife area. All horticulture areas of the farm double as educational space.

The farm prides itself on having an open animal yard where members of the public can interact with our goats, sheep and chickens. The open yard was upgraded in 2014 to facilitate a safe and clean environment for both our visitors and animals.

The award winning Piccalilli Caff is our onsite resident caff. We operate a beekeeping workshop in the summer months, “Piccalilli Caff”, working blacksmith’s forge and adult education rooms. We have a fully equipped classroom used by schools from across London.

The farm is managed by the Surrey Docks Farm Provident Society Ltd, a tax exempt charitable organisation registered with the Financial Services Authority, and recognised as charatable by HM Revenue & Customs (registration number 22829R).

Current patrons of the Society include the Bishop of Southwark and Sir Simon Hughes. The Society particularly encourages membership applications from local people to ensure they are at the forefront of what is essentially a local community project. Committee members of the Provident Society are elected at the Annual General Meeting.

[button link=”http://www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk” size=”large” icon=”fa-globe” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”b70900″ textcolor=”ffffff”]www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk[/button][button link=”https://twitter.com/surreydocksfarm” size=”large” icon=”fa-twitter” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”466fb7″ textcolor=”ffffff”]@surreydocksfarm[/button][button link=”https://www.facebook.com/SurreyDocksFarm/” size=”large” icon=”fa-facebook” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”7c90b7″ textcolor=”ffffff”]SurreyDocksFarm[/button]