Hopefield Animal Sanctuary Shuts Doors Amid Urgent Repairs
Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Sawyers Lane, Brentwood, has announced a sudden temporary closure with no reopening date in sight. The move comes as urgent repair and maintenance work become unavoidable to safeguard both visitors and animals alike.
Safety First as Sanctuary Faces Maintenance Crisis
The sanctuary broke the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, June 22, citing health and safety concerns as the main reason behind the closure. With a string of incidents and mounting maintenance challenges across the sprawling 53-acre site, the team decided to shut up shop until further notice.
“Due to urgent and unavoidable repair and maintenance works that need addressing immediately, we have had to take the regrettable decision to close the sanctuary to visitors until further notice,” the sanctuary posted. “We apologise for any upset or disappointment this may cause.”
Sanctuary Boss Speaks Out: “We Just Need Some Breathing Space”
Hopefield’s manager, Lianne Angliss, who has spent over 20 years at the sanctuary, shared heartfelt insight in a video released on Monday, June 23.
“Running a sanctuary for animals is hard in itself, but running a visitor attraction as well is even harder,” she said. “The day before yesterday, we had a couple of trees randomly fall down… It’s just another job we’re trying to do.”
Ongoing work includes fencing repairs, laying new enclosure foundations, and stepping up safety checks following recent weather damage.
“Hopefully when we re-open you will be able to see all the great stuff we’ve done. But it’s so hard at the moment to balance the visitors’ experience and getting the 1 done.”
Lianne thanked supporters and urged everyone to follow Hopefield’s social media channels for updates and calls for volunteers.
Home to 100+ Species, Relying on Donations
Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is a haven for over 100 species, from horses and pigs to meerkats, raccoons, and marmosets. It depends heavily on volunteers, public donations, and visitor income.
Earlier this year, a break-in saw a ranger buggy stolen. But the community rallied, raising more than £9,000 to help the sanctuary bounce back.
For the latest on Hopefield’s reopening and volunteer opportunities, keep an eye on their social media pages.
