The best thing about this riding school must be the location. Only minutes ride away from Richmond…read morePark the hacking here is absolutely breathtaking. The tuition is also of a really high standard. The riding school is very large with horses and ponies to suit people of all ages and standards. You'll find everything here, from 4 year olds having leads out in the park to keen pony clubbers to professional show jumpers. The facilities are also great, with very large indoor and outdoor schools complete with jumps. The stable also regularly take clients to their cross country course on Wimbledon Common. There are group and individual lessons to choose from and a great variety of things to do. The staff are very professional and with so many different instructors there is sure to be someone to suit any rider.The only negative I can think of is that the prices are very high. However, with such a unique location that is understandable. The stable also has a few livery spaces available, however here the prices really are extremely high- personally I couldn't quite see that it was worth the cost and therefore had to move my horse further out of London. Anyone looking to ride in the London area should be sure to give this place a look!

When I went here with ahunter and philchambers I really was a bit worried. I write that because I…read morelook at a horse and think 'What on earth is that?' They are beasts. Big huge beasts. They have horse power, that is more than me. Therefore the idea of sitting atop one for a ride when I had not ridden one for over a decade. A decade in which one grow up and out a bit between 25 early teens. So the horse I was given was huge, but within a minute they staff at the riding school had me at ease. It wasn't easy with the height I was sitting at. Honestly, I was bricking it. This school take people round Richmond park on horses. It was about 45 minutes. It felt like 5 minutes of being scared and getting to a canter and 5 minutes of sore bum afterwards. I felt the staff were lovely and absolutly first draw. This is somewhere to go for a work do (like we did that day), a regular ride in London and your first ever horse ride. A beautiful location to ride, which specfic horse paths and miles of countyside to roam and staff to accompany you. I would reccommend this riding school to anyone in SW London.

My child is highly motivated to learn and love horses. She's done more than 20hours riding abroad…read moreand in Stag Lodge they refused placing her to a group but pushed us to book private lessons. No support - no inspiration. Teachers cut 5 min from the class. In observed a few lessons and it is normal practice for them. I asked why and got explanation "we need to prepare for the next class". The team is rude and not welcoming. We're looking for an alternative place.

Sadly, my experience with Stag Lodge Stables was terrible from the day I booked. In early August, I…read morebooked two one-hour rides with them for the following week. A few hours later, I realized that it would be a 5-hour round trip each time, and I couldn't be away from work that long. I immediately asked if I could cancel and get a refund. They wouldn't give me one. They said I could only reschedule. I live in the USA, so I had a limited time. Since I was going to be staying closer a month later, I rebooked both rides on one day. There are two locations for Stag Lodge, and it wasn't clear which one I was supposed to go to. Apparently I chose the wrong one. It resulted in an unnecessary 45-min walk. Thankfully, I had arrived in the area an hour early. From the moment they opened, the same cold/rude behavior awaited me. Lucinda checked me in, and she just seemed annoyed. I was to ride Jason, a beautiful horse, and Martha was to be my instructor/guide for the full two hours, which was nice. Martha was *awesome*!! I loved riding with her. She gave me pointers and we had a nice chat. We trotted and cantered, and she even showed me a new way to canter! Now, I'm the first to admit that I'm not an expert rider, but I am an experienced rider at an intermediate level. I respect horses and love animals, so I often have a lighter touch than what it sometimes requires. Jason needed stronger direction because, as Martha told me, he was so used to kids just bouncing around on him that he ignored the normal level of direction (legs or reigns). It was a constant struggle just to keep him moving and stop him from eating! Still, it was an overall nice ride, and I thought Stag Lodge Stables would redeem themselves, until about 10 minutes from the end. During our last canter, Jason was trying to eat while cantering! As I tried to keep him straight, I lost a stirrup, but I had been trained well. This is my 7th year riding, and I've lost a stirrup several times. I've always been able to recover, so I haven't fallen once... until today. I thankfully wasn't permanently hurt, just bruised and embarrassed. Martha was very kind and validating, saying everyone falls at some point, which I know is true. After I caught my breath, I got back on, and we continued. About 5 min later, I noticed my phone was gone as was the crop they had me use to urge Jason on (little good it did), and I realized I must've lost them from the fall. It probably would've taken us 5 min to get back to where I fell. Martha called in because she wanted to go back, but they didn't have anyone else to take out their next rider. When we got back to the stables 10 min later, I saw that there were *three* workers there!! Any one of them could've taken me back out to find my phone if not taken the new rider out. Nope. They made me walk back, which took me over 30 min, meaning about an hour had gone by. Lo and behold, my phone was gone. Because, of course it was. It had been an hour!!! Exhausted. Frustrated. In pain and tears, I walked back to the stables and asked if I could use a computer to sign onto Find My iPhone. They said they didn't have the password for the office computer, which I don't believe for a second. Lucinda, who had given me the cold greeting, said, "We can't do anything if someone picked it up." ... of course you can't do anything NOW .... you could've taken me back right afterwards!! She called the general manager, Laura, to see what they could do, then handed me the phone. I told her all of this (written here), but she didn't offer me a refund or anything. Overall, Laura was very kind, and she didn't know any of this until that moment. As I was leaving, I asked Lucinda if Jason (the horse) was normally so hard to control, but she just condescendingly said how lovely he was and that he was perfect for kids and beginner adults, insinuating that I was a beginner. Maybe Jason just had as bad a day as I did. I certainly don't blame the horse, even if he was cheeky the entire ride. I blame the stables for-- 1. Not giving me a refund within hours of making the booking 2. Not making clear which location to go to 3. Pairing me with a horse clearly not used to a rider at my experience level 4. Not letting us go back (or taking me back) to find my phone 5. Being rude and unhelpful from beginning to end Martha was wonderful. Laura was kind. Lucinda was not. I've ridden many places across the UK. From several 5-hour+ rides in the Lake District and Scottish Highlands to riding in Hyde Park with Ross Nye Stables. Bottom line, don't ride through Stag Lodge Stables. There's a better choice in central London: Ross Nye Stables. They're a little more expensive, but worth every single penny. Don't waste your time or money riding with Stag Lodge Stables. If you want to see the deer, you can do that by riding in Windsor Park, which I've also done, and it was wonderful.

this place is adorable! there's sheep, horses, bunnies, birds, pigs (except they were missing when…read morei was there and none of the staff knew where they were, which was slightly disturbing) cows, chickens, roosters, and other cute little animals you can look at and make loving kissy faces at. there's a little cafe in the farm area, but it was a bit scary, so i'd recommend walking back to merton abbey mills where there's lots more places to eat instead of trying the food here. there's also a little gift shop, and they have an area for lost and found clothes, which is really great cause some kid left their jacket behind and i took it and it's the coolest jacket ever and it's mine now! gift shop has some cute farm themed goodies, but nothing you really need.. anyways - check this place out! the animals are adorable and it's free to get in so you won't waste any money

Beautiful farm! Staff are friendly, and there's options to feed most of the animals. A lovely…read moreatmosphere for kids!

When looking on a map of the area near our B&B, I saw Vauxhall City Farm. After breakfast at…read moreKennington Lane Cafe, I had some spare time so I went to check out the farm. Admission is free, but a donation is suggested, and I happily donated a few pounds. It's a small farm, with pigs, goats, chickens, alpacas, and more. There is also a cafe, although I didn't purchase anything, having just had a hearty breakfast. It's a great place for children, but as an adult, my visit was fairly short, about 30 minutes. Unless you have children, I wouldn't go out of my way to visit the farm, but if in the area and you have half an hour or so, check it out. It's a nice little farm, and affordable to visit. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; London, England; Zoos and Aquariums; Cheap Thrills]

It was one of those days that I was just wandering through the streets of London exploring and came…read moreacross the noises of farm animals. I followed the sound curious as to why farm animals would be in the heart of the city and came upon Vauxhall. This historic city farm is in the heart of the city and is run as a charity focusing on education, youth work, and Riding for the Disabled. It is free to enter and check out all the barnyard creatures (they only ask for donations). The animals all seemed happy and well taken care of. There was also a cafe in the heart of the farm. I spoke with some of the youth volunteers and they were excited about the work they do at the farm to take care of the animals. While the farm is great to visit, the work they are doing to support the community and positively impact youth is even more important to support.

Formerly The Spring Gardens but recently renovated and renamed in honour of the famous 18th Century…read morepleasure gardens painted by Canaletto and visited by the likes of Casanova which once dominated this area, this is a lovely green space in an otherwise slightly grimy corner of South London. From the huge new illuminated entrance gate by the RVT to the improved landscaping and horse-riding area this park has been massively improved by an excellent scheme brought about with local residents working in cooperation with the council. Add to it the all-weather sports pitch and nearby city farm and this is great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the Vauxhall Cross Gyratory. Plus the infamous grassy knoll, behind the RVT, is a great place for a drink on a warm evening.