Where is London's most central sheep?

Defining the “centre” of London

• Several comments argue the traditional reference point is Charing Cross; some hotel distance data appears to converge on Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square.
• Debate over whether “centre” should mean the historical Roman walled City, modern Greater London, or a midpoint between the City of London and Westminster.
• Cultural “vibes” also matter: many Londoners resist calling anything south of the Thames “central,” even if it’s geographically close.
• Clarification that the City of London has unusual governance but is not legally outside normal English law, contrary to common myths.

“Time to sheep” and related metrics

• OP’s “time to sheep” (TTS) is defined as travel time from city centre to sheep-filled countryside; used to explain why Bristol felt more livable than London.
• Many variants proposed: time to cows, moose, lions, wild bears, potatoes, theatre, pizza, pub, office, chaos, chicken shop, sidewalk puke.
• Some see TTS as a good proxy for balancing urban life with access to nature; critics note it measures how quickly you can leave the city and question why live in a city at all if TTS=0 is ideal.
• Counterargument: the metric captures being able to enjoy both dense urban life and quick countryside escapes.

Urban farms, parks, and animals

• Numerous examples of central or near-central farms/commons with livestock: London (city farms including one near Waterloo; Mudchute; Richmond Park deer), Newcastle’s Town Moor and Ouseburn Farm, Edinburgh’s historic sheep on Arthur’s Seat, cows on Cambridge commons, Berlin children’s farms, Toronto’s Riverdale Farm, San Jose civic farms, a Chicago goat farm, NYC sheep on Governors Island.
• Noted abundance of urban wildlife (e.g., foxes in London, bears near Ottawa) prompts suggestions for “time to wild predator” as an alternative metric.

Bristol, Bath, London, and city vs countryside

• Bristol praised for beauty, music scene, size, river setting, engineering history, community feel, and proximity to countryside; criticized for traffic and poor transit.
• Bath residents value being minutes from both city centre and countryside.
• London defended as uniquely rich in chaos, diversity, and opportunity; others find large cities interchangeable and prefer rural life.
• Seasonal affect in the UK is mentioned: winter in London feels harsh; being able to reach countryside and country pubs mitigates it.

Errata, accuracy, and humor

• The blog author later issues a “sheepish apology” for missing a small central farm; commenters highlight their lessons on not overstating “facts” and on incomplete information.
• Some think this self-criticism is excessive for a light post but note the audience’s tendency to bikeshed details.
• Thread includes playful jokes (spherical sheep, most central rabbit, LLM tripping, dung-based games) and one very cynical comment likening Londoners to sheep for slaughter.