A logo for Northcote Heavy Horses & Animals featuring silhouettes of a horse, cow, pig, goat, and sheep, along with the text Providing a loving home to animals big and small.
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A circular Animals Logo for Northcote Heavy Horses features silhouettes of various animals on a yellow background, with the text “Providing a loving home to animals big and small” round the edge.
A circular Animals Logo for Northcote Heavy Horses features silhouettes of various animals on a yellow background, with the text “Providing a loving home to animals big and small” round the edge.

About Our Sanctuary

For more than 30 years, we’ve been committed to bettering the lives of horses and small animals. Through our care, education, and support, we’ve made a real difference for these animals and increased public awareness and understanding.

 

Caring for Horses and Animals

Since our establishment in 1989, the care and wellbeing of our animals has always been at the heart of everything we do at Northcote Heavy Horse Centre. For more than three decades, we have provided a safe, stable, and nurturing home for horses and other animals who have found refuge with us.

Our dedicated volunteers work every day to ensure each animal receives the care and attention they need. From carefully planned diets and daily health checks to spacious living areas and enrichment activities, we focus on supporting both physical health and overall wellbeing.

We believe good animal welfare means more than just meeting basic needs. It’s about patience, understanding, and allowing each animal to live a calm and fulfilling life. Many of our animals remain with us for life, and we are proud of the long-lasting bonds we build with them over the years.

A group of fluffy chickens pecks at the grass in a field, with a large brown horse with a white mane standing in the background. Trees and a wooden fence surround the area.
Two brown horses with white face markings stand side by side, wearing black harnesses and brass headpieces, in an outdoor setting with greenery in the background.

Our Beginnings

The Northcote Heavy Horse Centre was founded in the late 1980s by Keith and Ruth Sanders, driven by a deep love of horses and a desire to give them a better future. The idea for the sanctuary took shape when their horse, Ebony, returned home after working at Young’s Brewery in London.

The centre officially opened its doors in July 1989, built on determination, community support, and a belief that horses deserve care, purpose, and respect. From the very beginning, Northcote has relied on the generosity of volunteers, friends, and supporters to continue its work.

While heavy horses have always been at the heart of the sanctuary, our role has grown over the years. Today, we provide a safe home not only for horses, including those with additional needs, but also for a variety of other animals such as goats, llamas, birds of prey, and more.

What started as a small, heartfelt project has grown into a well-established animal sanctuary, guided by the same values it was founded on: compassion, commitment, and putting animals first.

Volunteering With Us

We are entirely ran by volunteers and have no paid members of staff. If you’re enthusiastic about animals you would be a welcome addition to our team.

Become a Volunteer
A person with long dark hair in a purple jacket stands next to a brown horse, facing it closely by a wooden fence in a sunlit outdoor setting.

Re-homing your animal

Since opening in 1989, Northcote Heavy Horse Centre has provided a safe, permanent home for hundreds of animals who need care, stability, and understanding. Our focus is on offering lifelong sanctuary, ensuring each animal can live out their days in comfort and safety.

Every animal in our care is treated as an individual. Some enjoy gentle activity or taking part in events and animal experience days, while others simply relax and enjoy a quieter life. From heavy horses to alpacas, birds of prey, and smaller animals, we carefully consider every placement to make sure we can meet their long-term needs.

Visit our rehoming page to learn more about the animals we’re able to help and our approach to lifelong care.

Rehoming Information
Two pigs, one black and one pink, stand side by side on green grass in a sunny park with trees and a cloudy blue sky in the background.

Our latest news and blog

Our news and blog is where we share stories from daily life at the sanctuary — from animal updates and milestones to behind-the-scenes moments with our volunteers and visitors. It’s a window into the work that goes on here every day, all year round.

Through our posts, you’ll find updates on animal arrivals, ongoing projects, events, and the challenges and successes that come with running a volunteer-led animal sanctuary. It’s also where we celebrate the people who make our work possible and share the stories that matter most to us.

Explore our latest news to stay connected with the animals, the team, and life at the sanctuary.

News & Blog

Hire us for your event

We offer a unique and memorable setting for private events, including birthday parties, family celebrations, and small corporate or community gatherings. Hiring our sanctuary helps support our animals while giving your guests a hands-on, engaging experience they won’t forget.

Events can include activities such as pony experiences, llama walking, and supervised animal encounters, making them both fun and educational for children and adults alike. Each event is planned with animal welfare as the priority, ensuring a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone involved.

Availability, pricing, and event details can be discussed with our team, and we’re happy to tailor arrangements to suit your needs. Catering and additional services may also be arranged where appropriate.

Get in touch to find out more about hiring the sanctuary for your event.

Hiring Us
A young girl in a blue medieval-style dress and gold crown holds a white and brown barn owl on her arm. Other children and adults are in the background at an outdoor event.
A group of children stand in a grassy area petting and admiring a white horse with a green headcollar, surrounded by trees and greenery on a cloudy day.

Work experience students

We are proud to support various Colleges and Universities including Lincoln College, Boston College, Riseholme College & the Grimsby institute with their work placement offerings. We regularly have students volunteering and learning animal management courses. Learn more about work placements by contacting us directly or through your college/university.

Find Out More