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Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Sawyers Lane, Brentwood, has announced a temporary closure due to urgent repair and maintenance works, with no date set yet for reopening.
The sanctuary confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Sunday (June 22), citing health and safety as the top priority for both visitors and the sanctuary’s animals. The unexpected decision follows a string of incidents and growing maintenance challenges across the 53-acre site.
“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 post read. “We apologise for any upset or disappointment this may cause.”
“We just need some breathing space”
Hopefield manager Lianne Angliss, who has worked at the sanctuary for over 20 years, provided further insight in a heartfelt video posted to social media 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.”
Among the ongoing projects are fencing repairs, new enclosure foundations, and increased safety checks following recent weather-related issues.
Lianne added:
“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 work done.”
She thanked the public for their continued support and encouraged followers to keep an eye on Hopefield’s social pages for updates and volunteer callouts.
Home to 100+ Species
Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is home to over 100 species of animals, including horses, pigs, cows, meerkats, raccoons, and marmosets. It operates with the support of volunteers and relies heavily on public donations and visitor income.
Earlier this year, in March, the sanctuary was the victim of a break-in, during which a ranger buggy was stolen. A community fundraiser in response raised more than £9,000 to support recovery efforts.
