Northchurch

Nestled at the bottom of Northchurch allotment on New Road, Northchurch, is the third and original Sunnyside site. On approach, you’ll see polytunnels, keder greenhouses and an orchard housing 350 chickens. A wide range of fruit, vegetables, herbs and plants are grown to organic principles here, which are then sold at the farm shop run by Sunnyside trainees (open Mon to Fri 10 until 3pm).

The team at Northchurch run a customised veg box scheme whereby the general public can sign up and choose what seasonal vegetables they want in their box once a week. The team will then prepare the boxes and keep them fresh for collection at a time that’s convenient for the customer.

This site has a lot of diverse habitats and we have taken on the lease for an adjacent small parcel of land which allows us to try something new and exciting. For example, we are now able to  keep animals such as goats and sheep to provide therapeutic and practical skills for our client group. In addition, we have upgraded our farm shop and added a small cafe to make the site more attractive to the general public, which includes hosting events and offering the site as a school trip destination.

The orchard at Northchurch is home to our 350 rescue chickens. At this site they are encouraged to live a natural cycle: they range freely in an orchard, they’re fed with corn, grit and oyster shells (for stronger eggshells), they drink rainwater and during the winter they are allowed to have a natural moult (meaning they are not forcibly lit or heated). Laying fewer eggs takes the pressure off their bodies, helping them live healthier and happier.

You can adopt one of our chickens for just £3 a month or one of the Northchurch rescued animals. Click here for more details.

Address
Northchurch
Upper Allotments
New Road
Northchurch
HP4 1NJ

Phone Number
01442 872114

Site Manager
Matt Felix

In an emergency, outside of our usual hours of 8am-4pm, please contact Matt Felix on 07943 071319

Hire a venue  (Hiring Northchurch is currently unavailable – sorry)

If you are looking for somewhere to hold an event against a relaxed, rural setting, we may be able to help. We have two summerhouses: one at Hemel Food Garden which is set amongst our tranquillity gardens, and the other at Northchurch next to an orchard. Our cosy Sunnyside Up café at Hemel Food Garden is also a popular place for hire. All three venues are ideal for informal meetings and somewhere to go for creative sessions, children’s parties, team building days, yoga classes and BBQs.

Hire Northchurch

To enquire about hiring any of our venues please contact publicity@sunnysideruraltrust.org.uk

Hire this venue