Farmway

Before Seletar West Farmway was paved there were dirt roads without streetlights. Imagine the darkness before the eighties. That’s when asphalt replaced the dirt. Seletar West Farmway once housed dozens of fish farms. Orchid farms mushroom farms and an animal lodge now share the space. These farmways are remnants of a bygone era. They are a unique network of roads. These roads led to farms across the northern part of Singapore. Many other farmways disappeared during the development of Punggol and Sengkang. Seletar West Farmway is special. It still retains its rural charm. Old street signs and antique lamps are a reminder of the past. Despite nearby developments the rural outlook persists. The vegetable farmlands are gone replaced by new enterprises. The Man Kok Sua Chong Yee Temple stood at Seletar West Farmway 6. It was a kampong temple. The temple was rebuilt in 1964. It stood until 2011 when it was demolished for the new Seletar Road. The Seletar Flats also once stood here. They were low rise HDB flats. The flats provided housing for villagers. They had shops a wet market and a hawker centre. The close-knit community spirit thrived. The flats were redeveloped in 2005. Now they are housing for foreign workers. Seletar West Farmway’s future is uncertain. Development of Seletar Aerospace Park may affect the area. Perhaps one day this unique landscape will be absorbed into Sengkang New Town. But for now the quiet roads and old signs remain. They tell a story of Singapore’s agricultural past. They whisper tales of rural life. A life that may soon vanish from this corner of Singapore. Walk these roads. Listen to the echoes of history. Appreciate the quiet beauty of Seletar West Farmway before it changes forever.