AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Horniman Animal Walk is a free, open-air display at the top of the Horniman Museum's gardens in Forest Hill, south-east London. Rather than peering through railings, visitors follow a path that threads between the enclosures, bringing you nose-to-nose with goats, sheep, alpacas, rabbits, guinea pigs and a flock of chickens.↗↗
More than a petting-zoo detour, the Walk carries out founder Frederick Horniman's vision of an outdoor space that reflects the museum's collections. It links directly to the Natural History galleries, inviting you to consider the relationship between domesticated animals and their wild relatives, and why people live alongside the farm animals we know so well.↗
Meet the residents
The charm of the Animal Walk lies in its characters, each with a name and a personality. Look out for Poppy the alpaca quietly enjoying the hay, Womble the distinctive Valais Blacknose sheep, and a trio of rabbits that shows just how varied a single species can be: Thumper the enormous Continental Giant alongside Phoenix, the museum's smallest rabbit, a Netherland Dwarf, and Misty, a lilac. Goats and sheep roam their paddocks, while the chickens are no ordinary barnyard birds but Silver Spangled Hamburg Bantams, a rare and beautifully patterned breed.
