Tuesdays - 1pm

Our free friendly social walking group meets outside The Hub Café at Hadleigh Park for a 60-90 minutes circular walk. New members are always welcome

Wednesdays - 1.15pm to 2.45pm

Enthusiast or wanting to learn, you are invited to join our friendly, social group to knit, crotchet or just get creative with yarn at our group held weekly at The Hub Café.

Thursdays - 10am

Our free outdoor group for tots and their carers.  Meet outside The Hub Café to explore and learn together in the picturesque surroundings of Hadleigh Farm Estate.  

Muddy Church is hosted once per month and gives the opportunity for children and families to explore Christian faith through craft activities and wonder trails.

Blessings

If you would like your child blessed in the beautiful natural surroundings of Hadleigh Farm Estate, please contact our Officer Captain Wendy Watkins (wendy.watkins@salvationarmy.org.uk) for more information. 

In 1891 The Salvation Army bought 900 acres of farmland in the Essex village of Hadleigh and developed a pioneering social programme to empower people living in poverty and experiencing long-term unemployment. After 125 years of transforming lives The Salvation Army continues to be at the heart of the local community today.

The purchase of Hadleigh Farm in 1891 implemented the social manifesto of William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army. Men experiencing homelessness and unemployment in the East End of London were given the opportunity to escape the deprivation of the capital and move to Hadleigh Farm where they could learn new skills, principally agriculture and brick making. The aim was to give these men and their families a hand-up out of poverty, rather than a hand-out, in the hope that they would find employment and stay out of the workhouse.

The Estate supported itself, selling its produce to the Southend community and trading bricks with London. By the end of 1892 the site incorporated a working farm, three brick works, a hospital and a Salvation Army church, as well as a tramline and railway for transporting agricultural produce and bricks from the farm to the wharf in Hadleigh Ray.

The services The Salvation Army runs at Hadleigh Farm have evolved over the years in response to need. By 1912 nearly 7,000 men had worked at Hadleigh Farm, with more than 60 per cent finding employment. As the Government developed its own welfare programme, the need for projects such as Hadleigh Farm became less urgent. In the 1930s the farm provided a place of refuge to Basque children during the Spanish Civil War, as well as around 70 Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Germany and Eastern Europe.

Today, Hadleigh Farm continues the work started by William Booth in helping unemployed or marginalised members of society to reach their individual goals. The 900 acre site is a mixed commercial farm with 600 acres of crops and 300 acres of organic grassland, with a commitment to "environmental protection and providing training for sustainable living."

The crops produced by Hadleigh Farm are diverse and provide, among other things, the malt to make Malteasers and the wheat for Hovis bread. Hadleigh Farm crops also provide the staples of everyday life such as the winter wheat which can be used in bread, biscuits, flour or breakfast cereal. Finally, in keeping with our commitment  to environmental protection and sustainable living, some of our crops are used to feed the animals here at Hadleigh Farm.

The farm has also become a fascinating place for the general public to visit, offering many activities and attractions, including picturesque views across the Thames Estuary, a tea room which is an integral part of local community life. There is also a Rare Breed Centre, which is home to a number of rare and endangered breeds- including Cookie the Exmoor Pony, Middle White pigs and many breeds of goats, sheep and poultry.

Hadleigh Farm is enrolled in an Entry and Higher Level Stewardship Scheme agreement including:

• Prudent management of the ruins of Hadleigh Castle and the species-rich acidic grassland and the creation of an uninterrupted wildlife and habitat corridor from Hadleigh Park in the west to Belton Hills in the east.
• Arable reversion of some arable land in order to achieve the creation of the wildlife and habitat corridor.
• Greater use of explanatory signage to educate and inform members of the public making use of the various public rights of way across the farm. A number of public footpaths weave through both the arable and grassland areas.

Hadleigh Farm therefore engages with partners including Natural England, the Environment Agency, English Heritage and Essex County Council in order to preserve and enhance the environmental assets of the farm. Hadleigh Farm grows a number of arable crops including feed and milling wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas and oilseed rape.