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[[Main Page]]
 
[[Main Page]]
  
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==For Newbies==
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The simple objective of this page is to provide links to websites where newbies can find useful information to get them going.
  
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In the early and high Middle Ages villagers shared pieces of land around the village to eke out an existence by growing crops and grazing livestock. However, rises in the population and improvements in agriculture put pressure on the “shared” approach, leading to moves to privatise this common land.  
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==Links to some background information on allotments==
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[http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/documents/plotholdersguide.pdf The Allotment Regeneration Initiative's (ARI) plot holder guide] contains general background information on allotments (but nothing on actual cultivation).
  
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Land Enclosure, as it was called, occurred principally in the 18th and 19th centuries, benefiting a relatively small minority (landowners and farmers) while disenfranchising the majority. Fortunately, some members of the landed gentry, politicians and the clergy had social consciences, and they commenced in the 1760s what turned out to be a long struggle to provide allotments for the poor and unemployed by means of individual initiatives and lobbying for legislation.
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If you are interested in allotment law the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) has [http://www.nsalg.org.uk/uploads/article547/Allotments%20-%20The%20Basics.pdf a useful 3 page summary of modern legislation.] For a fuller explanation see Paul Clayden's ''The Law of Allotments'' (5th edition) in paperback.
  
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Members of the nobility who were early providers of allotments in the late 18th century included Lords Carrington, Winchilsea and Egremont.  Some providers set rules: Cranfield Church in Bedfordshire required regular attendance at church, the bringing up of the family in a decent and orderly manner, and specified forfeiture of the allotment for any criminal conviction.
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[http://www.allotmoreallotments.org.uk/ Allot More Allotments], a campaign for more allotments, has a [http://www.allotmoreallotments.org.uk/legislation.htm useful page with links to information on legislation].
  
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The first attempts to legislate for the provision of allotments occurred in the 1790s, but they were easily rebuffed by the landowners’ lobby which was strongly against the idea.
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If you are already on a waiting list but despair that you may not get a plot for a long time you may wish to look at other alternatives. [http://landshare.channel4.com/ Landshare] looks to put landowners and growers in touch with one another. This concept is a growing area at the moment. However, beware that some outfits will make charges for the service that they provide, possibly making the overall cost of getting your piece of land far more expensive than normal allotment rents. Some commercial organisations are now offering plots but they tend to be extremely expensive, some as much as 20-30 times greater than the equivalent rents on a council-run or independent site.
  
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Life became even harder for the poor in the early part of the 19th century for reasons which included: a surplus of labour with the return of soldiers after the Napoleonic Wars; automation in the form of the threshing machine; and somewhat perversely gradual improvements in health which meant more mouths to feed. These factors, coupled with bad harvests in 1829 and 1830, led to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Riots Swing Riots] of 1830 and 1831. The rioters were harshly dealt with: 19 people were executed, and over 1,000 were either jailed or transported to Australia.
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==Where to find initial advice on cultivation to get you going==
  
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Lobbying subsequently became more fruitful, in part due to concerns about social unrest after the Swing Riots, and some initial pieces of legislation were enacted. Unfortunately, the effects of many of the acts which related to allotments (right through to the end of the 19th century) were diluted for the simple reason that they tended to rely on voluntary action.  
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If you are new to allotmenting and to growing then you are probably on the look-out for some initial advice and guidance to get you going. While there are plenty of books that you can buy - frequently under the names of celebrity gardeners - it is possible to find much useful advice from experienced plot holders on the internet. These individuals often provide more solid, realistic and pragmatic information than the celebrities.
  
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By the middle of the 19th century a modest level of progress was beginning to be achieved, helped by a gradual decrease in the opposition from landowners and farmers. The increase in the number of allotments was far from uniform across the country, Wiltshire and Lincolnshire being particular hotbeds of activity. Potato fields were also popular around this time; this was a mechanism whereby land was let by a farmer for growing the crop which had become a staple part of the poor's diet by the start of the 19th century.
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As a starter, apart from the information here on the A4A wiki, there are a reasonable number of contributors to Allotments4All who have their own web sites which contain much useful information for the newbie. Here is a selection:
  
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By 1873 there were around 243,000 plots according to one estimate. It was from this point onwards that an explosion in the growth of the allotments occurred, continuing right through to 1945. There were a number of reasons for this growth:
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* [http://downtheplot.com Eristic] – particularly good at clearance and first year cultivation plus the growing of some of the more unusual crops
  
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* The movement, which had been predominantly rural in nature up to this point, quickly became urban in the latter part of the 19th century, as increasing numbers of town-dwellers sought the means to reconnect with the soil and to supplement their wages. Town gardens (places for both decoration and cultivation) had in fact predated the allotment movement in places such as Birmingham and Nottingham but they were often for people of some means, e.g. shopkeepers and artesans, rather than the ordinary working man.
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* [http://www.bkthisandthat.org.uk BAK] – includes "new to allotment?" and cultivation approaches pages plus lots of links to other sites
  
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* changes in local government organisation, coupled with more effective allotment legislation in the period from 1880 through to 1908, led to the public provision of allotments. One estimate puts the number of allotments at around 600,000 just prior to the First World War
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* [http://www.growyourown.info/ Realfood] - comprehensive site on fruit and veg growing by a Scottish grower with an emphasis on cultivation in the north of the British Isles
  
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* and the food situation during the two World Wars led to purple patches with the number of allotments peaking at around 1.5m during both conflicts.  
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* [http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk Tee Gee] - experienced Yorkshire grower who covers fruit, veg and ornamentals, some of which are displayed in slide show format. There is also a comprehensive FAQ section and photo album.
  
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Unfortunately, the second half of the 20th century saw a rapid descent from these dizzying heights, as the general standard of living gradually increased. The financial requirement of individuals to grow crops diminished, leading to a pronounced waning in the levels of enthusiasm across the nation. By the end of the 20th century there were estimated to be in the region of 250,000 allotments in England. The last 35 years has seen a number of gentle surges in interest, the latest being the significant appeal among young women, particularly mothers, to grow tasty food, free of pesticides.
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Meanwhile, the following contributors veer more towards a diary format with excellent pictures:
  
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The enemies of the allotment movement have been, and remain, the insatiable needs of property developers and the apathy of many plot holders. There will undoubtedly be continuing pressures on allotments everywhere, requiring vigilance and goodwill in equal measures if a right that many people struggled hard to win over a period of around a century, and even harder to maintain over the last 100+ years, is to be protected.
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* [http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/ vegmandan]
  
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* [http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html allaboutliverpool].
  
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==Further Reading (Books)==
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There are, of course, non-A4A growers whose websites are worth reading. They include:
  
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There are a number of interesting books which cover the history of allotments in the UK.
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* [http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/indextec.htm Gavin Keir] - pages on allotment techniques are particularly useful
  
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* Poole, S., ''The Allotment Chronicles: A Social History of Allotment Gardening'', Silver Link Publishing, Kettering, 2006. This well-written book by an obvious allotment lover is the result of 20 years research. It is a historical account which is liberally laced with individual stories.
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* [http://www.lraa.co.uk/allotment_gardening.htm London Road Allotment Association (Coventry)] - useful brief notes on cultivation, including a garden calendar
  
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* Crouch, D., Ward, C., ''The Allotment: Its Landscape and Culture'', Five Leafs Publications, Nottingham, 1997. The two authors obtained their material by travelling all over the country, searching out people’s recollections from their youth and their more recent experiences. It is less historical, more social in content. It includes a chapter on the allotment movement in other countries.
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Finally, [http://www.bkthisandthat.org.uk/FirstYearExperiences.html click here] to find out how one newbie got on during her first year on the plot.
  
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* Burchardt, J., ''The Allotment Movement in England 1793-1873'', London: The Royal Historical Society, 2002. This is a professional historian’s view, and as such it provides a more dispassionate, though nonetheless sympathetic, view of the allotment movement during its formative years.
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==Miscellany==
  
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* Moran, D.M, ''The Allotment Movement in Britain'', New York: P. Lang, 1990. This concentrates on allotments in the Swindon area, but it includes a very useful general historical introduction.
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'''Contaminated Manure'''
  
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Probably the major news item among the UK growing fraternity in 2008 was the appearance in various areas of manure that had been infected by a chemical called aminopyralid which was found in some herbicide products from a company called Dow Agrosciences. It subsequently led to distorted growth in crops that were planted in ground that contained the infected manure. After public pressure the offending products were eventually withdrawn from the market in July 2008. However, Dow Agrosciences were given permission to reintroduce two of the products in October 2009, subject to restrictions. Various websites narrate the story. [http://ossettweather.com/glallotments.co.uk/acmanure.html Green Lane Allotments] is a good one to read to understand the problems and the unfolding story. The bottom line is to understand the provenance of your manure - i.e. be sure that you know where it has come from and whether the farmer or stable owner used any of the offending products or obtained any haylage or silage contaminated with herbicide residue.
  
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==Further Reading (Web-based Material)==
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'''Poles and Rods'''
  
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Some useful articles can be found on the Internet, including:
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You will find topics on this forum where plot sizes are mentioned, sometimes - though not always - in connection with allotment rent. They are frequently expressed in terms of poles or rods. A pole is the same as a rod, referring to an area that is 5.5 yards long and 5.5 yards wide. Perch is another name for the same unit of measurement although it is less frequently used.
  
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* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotment_gardening Wikipedia article] – this has a more international flavour, covering the allotment movement in Germany, Sweden and the Philippines, as well as the UK
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Therefore, 1 pole = 30.25 sq yards or 272.25 sq feet or 25.3 sq metres.
  
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* [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org.uk/ShortHistoryOfAllotmentshtml.html a brief history of allotments in England] - is a stepping stone between this article and the books that are mentioned above.  
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From the late 19th century a standard size allotment was considered to be 10 poles, i.e. 300 sq yards or 250 sq metres. However, many sites are now reducing plot sizes in an attempt to cope with the increased demand for allotments. This means that while on some sites the standard is still 10 poles, on others it may be only 5 poles.
  
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* [http://www.kitchengardens.dial.pipex.com/history.htm a very brief history of allotments in England & Wales]
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'''Expectations'''
  
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* [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org.uk/GrowingHistoryPreAllotments.html a brief history of UK cultivation prior to the Allotment Movement] - is a useful article if you are interested in understanding how cultivation techniques had progressed by the time that the allotment movement got started.
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The very fact that you are reading this means that you are probably under no illusions that allotments can be hard work, albeit enjoyable and ultimately rewarding work. However, there are newbies around who have somewhat unrealistic expectations, as the following selected quotes from A4A members testify ...
  
 +
“We did have somebody who after coming to the top of the list about this time of year (autumn) said that they only wanted a summer allotment … another said they don't remember putting their name down”.
 +
 +
“We've also had someone who took on a plot but didn't do anything although they appeared several times to look at it - eventually they asked 'when will my plot be dug and ready for me to plant' - and when it was explained they had to dig it, we got a reply along the lines of 'well I'm renting this off the Council, surely they will dig it for me to start with, they can't expect me to dig all that'”
 +
“There was the tenant who replied to my request that she tidy up her overgrown plot by saying: ‘don't be ridiculous! We're surrounded by nature and what you call weeds are just wild flowers!!’ She had nettles, thistles, dock, brambles, cow parsley .... etc etc”.
  
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==Local Allotment Site Histories==
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“A woman took on half a plot in October one year and visited it a few times to begin with but did very little to it.  The following spring I asked her when she intended to start digging and planting and she said that she had a week's holiday coming up in August and would start then.”
  
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If there is an obvious gap in the history of allotments it is the relative lack of local histories which might help to give us a greater understanding of the movement as a whole. An initial search of the Internet has resulted in the following histories. It is hoped that further links will be added, whether they are to electronic or paper articles.  
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“One new plot-holder had a couple of men build some sturdy raised beds. She did a bit of work and then disappeared on us. By chance I met her next-door neighbour while we were dog-walking, so I asked if she was OK. The reply was that she was fine, and was loving the allotment: she'd got it all planted and at the end of the summer was going back to harvest it all!”
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* [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org.uk/SunningdaleHistory.html Sunningdale Allotments (Berkshire)]
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* [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Attachments/Internet/Leisure/Parks_and_recreation/Allotments/allotments%20appendices.doc A History of Edinburgh’s Allotments]
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* [http://www.staa-allotments.org.uk/heritage/history.htm St. Ann's, Nottingham]
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* [http://www.windowonwoking.org.uk/sites/haa/history Horsell (Woking)]
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* [http://www.londonallotments.net/research/historylon.html London Allotments]
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* [http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5275_path__0p116p1034p1035p.aspx Brighton & Hove]
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* [http://www.firsestateallotments.co.uk/history.htm Firs Estate Allotments (Derby)]
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* [http://www.hants.gov.uk/growyourown/page5.html Highcliffe Allotments (Winchester)]
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* [http://www.cthorpeallotments.co.uk/history.html Countesthorpe Gardens and Allotments Society (Leicestershire)]
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* [http://www.hoxtonmanorallotments.org.uk/content/view/38/49/ Hoxton Manor Allotments]
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* [http://beehive.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=13543&PageID=83728 Allotments in Anstey]
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* [http://www.allotments.fsnet.co.uk/history.html Horfield & District Allotment Association]
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* [http://www.rippingalevillage.co.uk/AllotmentHistory-index.htm Rippingale]
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* [http://www.childshillallotments.org.uk/his/pages/history1.html Child's Hill]
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* [http://www.benshammanorallotments.org.uk/index.php?f=data_home&a=4 Bensham Manor]
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* [http://www.fulham-allotments.org/History.html Fulham Palace Meadows]
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* [http://www.trapgroundallotments.org.uk/history.html Trap Ground (North Oxford)]
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Latest additions ...
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* [http://www.shas.org.uk/History Sale Horticultural & Allotment Society]
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* [http://www.clipstoneallotments.org.uk/6.html Clipstone Allotment Association]
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* [http://imberhorneallotments.org/allotment%20history.htm Imberhorne Allotments]
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* [http://www.lynwoodallotments.co.uk/hub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=70 Lynwood Road Allotment Association]
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* [http://londonroadallotments.org.uk/timeline.htm London Road Allotments (Coventry]
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* [http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/Orgs/WAGA/waga-history.htm Wivenhoe Allotment & Gardens Association]
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* [http://www.edgbastonguineagardens.org.uk/id1.html Edgbaston Guinea Gardens]
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* [http://www.fedaga.org.uk/history ''When Plotters Meet'' (Edinburgh Allotments 1921-2001)]
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List last updated on 15th October 2008.
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==A Call for More Local Allotment Histories==
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Why not consider writing a history of your site? The majority of sites usually have at least one or two individuals who are interested in history. It can make for a useful and interesting winter project when there is not much to do on the plot.
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Possible sources of material in the UK include:
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* Council Records
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* Council Minutes
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* Church Records
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* [http://www.a2a.org.uk/ Access to Archives]
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Older Council or Church material may be held in the [http://www.oz.net/~markhow/englishros.htm Local County Record Office]. The location of diocesan records, which may also be helpful, varies. Check on the web where they may be found for your area.
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Latest revision as of 10:17, 24 February 2012

Main Page

The simple objective of this page is to provide links to websites where newbies can find useful information to get them going.

Links to some background information on allotments

The Allotment Regeneration Initiative's (ARI) plot holder guide contains general background information on allotments (but nothing on actual cultivation).

If you are interested in allotment law the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) has a useful 3 page summary of modern legislation. For a fuller explanation see Paul Clayden's The Law of Allotments (5th edition) in paperback.

Allot More Allotments, a campaign for more allotments, has a useful page with links to information on legislation.

If you are already on a waiting list but despair that you may not get a plot for a long time you may wish to look at other alternatives. Landshare looks to put landowners and growers in touch with one another. This concept is a growing area at the moment. However, beware that some outfits will make charges for the service that they provide, possibly making the overall cost of getting your piece of land far more expensive than normal allotment rents. Some commercial organisations are now offering plots but they tend to be extremely expensive, some as much as 20-30 times greater than the equivalent rents on a council-run or independent site.

Where to find initial advice on cultivation to get you going

If you are new to allotmenting and to growing then you are probably on the look-out for some initial advice and guidance to get you going. While there are plenty of books that you can buy - frequently under the names of celebrity gardeners - it is possible to find much useful advice from experienced plot holders on the internet. These individuals often provide more solid, realistic and pragmatic information than the celebrities.

As a starter, apart from the information here on the A4A wiki, there are a reasonable number of contributors to Allotments4All who have their own web sites which contain much useful information for the newbie. Here is a selection:

  • Eristic – particularly good at clearance and first year cultivation plus the growing of some of the more unusual crops
  • BAK – includes "new to allotment?" and cultivation approaches pages plus lots of links to other sites
  • Realfood - comprehensive site on fruit and veg growing by a Scottish grower with an emphasis on cultivation in the north of the British Isles
  • Tee Gee - experienced Yorkshire grower who covers fruit, veg and ornamentals, some of which are displayed in slide show format. There is also a comprehensive FAQ section and photo album.

Meanwhile, the following contributors veer more towards a diary format with excellent pictures:

There are, of course, non-A4A growers whose websites are worth reading. They include:

  • Gavin Keir - pages on allotment techniques are particularly useful

Finally, click here to find out how one newbie got on during her first year on the plot.

Miscellany

Contaminated Manure

Probably the major news item among the UK growing fraternity in 2008 was the appearance in various areas of manure that had been infected by a chemical called aminopyralid which was found in some herbicide products from a company called Dow Agrosciences. It subsequently led to distorted growth in crops that were planted in ground that contained the infected manure. After public pressure the offending products were eventually withdrawn from the market in July 2008. However, Dow Agrosciences were given permission to reintroduce two of the products in October 2009, subject to restrictions. Various websites narrate the story. Green Lane Allotments is a good one to read to understand the problems and the unfolding story. The bottom line is to understand the provenance of your manure - i.e. be sure that you know where it has come from and whether the farmer or stable owner used any of the offending products or obtained any haylage or silage contaminated with herbicide residue.

Poles and Rods

You will find topics on this forum where plot sizes are mentioned, sometimes - though not always - in connection with allotment rent. They are frequently expressed in terms of poles or rods. A pole is the same as a rod, referring to an area that is 5.5 yards long and 5.5 yards wide. Perch is another name for the same unit of measurement although it is less frequently used.

Therefore, 1 pole = 30.25 sq yards or 272.25 sq feet or 25.3 sq metres.

From the late 19th century a standard size allotment was considered to be 10 poles, i.e. 300 sq yards or 250 sq metres. However, many sites are now reducing plot sizes in an attempt to cope with the increased demand for allotments. This means that while on some sites the standard is still 10 poles, on others it may be only 5 poles.

Expectations

The very fact that you are reading this means that you are probably under no illusions that allotments can be hard work, albeit enjoyable and ultimately rewarding work. However, there are newbies around who have somewhat unrealistic expectations, as the following selected quotes from A4A members testify ...

“We did have somebody who after coming to the top of the list about this time of year (autumn) said that they only wanted a summer allotment … another said they don't remember putting their name down”.

“We've also had someone who took on a plot but didn't do anything although they appeared several times to look at it - eventually they asked 'when will my plot be dug and ready for me to plant' - and when it was explained they had to dig it, we got a reply along the lines of 'well I'm renting this off the Council, surely they will dig it for me to start with, they can't expect me to dig all that'” “There was the tenant who replied to my request that she tidy up her overgrown plot by saying: ‘don't be ridiculous! We're surrounded by nature and what you call weeds are just wild flowers!!’ She had nettles, thistles, dock, brambles, cow parsley .... etc etc”.

“A woman took on half a plot in October one year and visited it a few times to begin with but did very little to it. The following spring I asked her when she intended to start digging and planting and she said that she had a week's holiday coming up in August and would start then.”

“One new plot-holder had a couple of men build some sturdy raised beds. She did a bit of work and then disappeared on us. By chance I met her next-door neighbour while we were dog-walking, so I asked if she was OK. The reply was that she was fine, and was loving the allotment: she'd got it all planted and at the end of the summer was going back to harvest it all!”

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