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London Olympics Information » Venues » Hadleigh Farm » About Hadleigh Farm
About Hadleigh Farm
Official site
http://www.hadleighfarm.co.uk/
Status
The venue covers 550 acres of the Hadleigh Farm which includes the beautiful grassland and woodland and the surrounding area of the Hadleigh Castle. The technical climbs for the course will be spread across two major hill areas separated by a valley. Temporary grandstands will be erected at the venue which will be taken down after the event, and a decision about the course will be taken in consultation between the London Olympic Games Organising Committee, Essex County Council and the Salvation Army.
About Hadleigh Farm
William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, purchased the 900 acre farmland in and around Hadleigh in 1890. The objective was to train men and women in agriculture which would help them find employment anywhere across Britain. However, the Hadleigh land during those times was not considered ideal for farming as it consisted of light gravel soils on the 70 metre flat elevation.
Booth died in 1912, and by then 7000 men were trained at Hadleigh in a range of techniques in farming for livestock, arable, poultry, market gardening and orchards. Pottery and brickworks also formed a part of the training curriculum.
Major changes in the social experiment took place after the two world wars, and most of the earlier operations were moderated with the addition of new skills such as carpentry, house painting and shoe repairs. After the coming of the British Welfare State, the main objective of the colony became less relevant, and the farm changed its role during the 1950s and became a centre to train boys on probation and former offenders from the youth prisons. From the 1990s the centre supported by the local Social Services department started to impart training to people with special education needs in the contemporarily relevant skills such as IT skills, catering and carpentry and life skills.
In 2001 a tea room was opened with a view to create awareness amongst the public of the Salvation Army's activities at the farm. The tea room offers a scenic view ranging from the proud remains of Hadleigh Castle, through the Thames Estuary, to the hills of the North Downs.
The 13th century built Hadleigh castle sports its own share of spooky stories. It is widely believed that a whispering black figure, assumed to be the spirit of a famous 19th century witch doctor, James Murrell, wanders about collecting herbs for his magical potions.
The farm continues to move towards its primary objectives of environmental protection and providing training for a sustainable living. Hadleigh farm provides a rural getaway with a relaxing experience of feeding a range of rare breed goats, sheep, poultry and pigs.
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