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Aldborough Hall Farm has been run by the Rudge family since 1956 as tenant farmers. In 1957 Peter and Shirley moved in. Corn, potatoes and vegetables were grown later expanding into ‘Pick Your Own’ fruit and vegetables. The farm shop was opened in the mid sixties and then later on a tea room. The farm had many animals, mostly rescued, for the public to see including pigs, sheep, donkeys, goats, rabbits and various birds. It worked closely with the RSPCA and was a regular place for local families to visit for a close encounter with nature. Unfortunately, in 2004 Redbridge Borough Council reclaimed the farmland for gravel extraction and the ‘Pick Your Own’ had to cease. This led to the closure in late 2007 of the farm shop and tea room and the animals and most of the birds have now been rehomed and the farm has now closed to the public. Now the farm has had a ‘tidy up’ and, with the introduction of the Ha’Penny Brewing Company, the Aldborough Hall Farm Beer Festival is becoming an annual event. It is hoped that with everything that it has to offer, this event will give the general public, once again, a chance to spend a few hours relaxing at the “farm in the suburbs”.
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