Topic: Sites with hedges

[Robert_Brenchley]

My site is listed with English Heritage on the basis of the hedges separating every plot; the old brick summerhouses were demolished in the 1970's. I've noticed that a couple of people have posted pics of their sites, with similar hedges. I'd be interested to know where these sites are, and if possible, something of their history.

The Guinea Gardens go back to the gardens which surrounded most towns in the 19th and early 19th Cenituries, before Victorian urban sprawl swallowed them up. Town houses mostly didn't have gardens, and as towns were small, plots were let to those who could afford them. At the beginning of the 19th Century, Birmingham was known as a city ringed with gardens; a bit different from its later image! What's the history of the other hedged sites?

[DenBee]

Our site is also individual plots/gardens really, with high hedges surrounding each one (location/aerial photo on my profile).  I don't know very much about the history of them.  They were covenanted to the town many years ago by the one of the estates which owned the area, for use as allotments, and they are now surrounded by newish estates.  Rumour has it that periodically one of the building companies tries to get the covenant overturned so that they can make millions by building houses.  They are privately managed, and nothing to do with the local council.

This has inspired me to have a bit of a dig (no pun intended) to find out more about them.

[Trixiebelle]

Hi Robert (and mornin' Den!)

Just seen your question on the album thread. Our allotments are in Nottingham, but like Den, I don't know much history about them other than The Earl of Manvers covenanted the land to the folks 'a while back'.

Somewhere in-between (and nobody knows how or when) the council became the owners. Should be interesting if the council ever want to build on the land. We really should dig out the history as a point of interest and as 'ammunition' in case the need arises!

There is an allotment site called Hungerhill in St. Anns, Notts that is apparently the oldest site in the UK (or so they like to think!) They're all surrounded by hedges too.

[Robert_Brenchley]

There seems to be a pattern of hedged sites having originated as private sites. Old (pre-1850) maps are often available in large town libraries, and may give some clues. Are they still in the ownership of the original people, or has the land actually been sold to the Council? We have a conplicated situation where the site was begin in 1850 by a large local landowner, who still own the land. It's let to the Council, who manage the site, but the buck still stops with the estate. So when a plotholder died last year, and the family tried to lay claim to property on her plot, which belonged to the site, it went to the estate solicitors not the Council.

[Trixiebelle]

Don't know if, or when, the land was sold to the council Robert. I'm going to find out though!

Didn't know there was a link between hedged sites & private sites. Is that your own research finding?

What is the rationale behind hedged sites being predominantly, privately owned (apart from the 'privacy' issue of the hedge itself!)

Does it follow that 'open' sites are more easily policed by council inspectors etc? But surely that doesn't apply to pre 1850 sites?

Would be interested to find out what your research has come up with!

Trixie

[mc55]

my site also has individual plots edged with privet hedging (Meersbrook in Sheffield).  It's council owned, but I know nothing of its history - will try and do some investigating.  There are 400 plots in total.

[Trixiebelle]

Mc55!

Every time I see a post from you I get all sentimental about Sheffield  :)

I was born and brought up there and I love the city and the people to BITS :)

[djbrenton]

Ours is a hedged site for a rather interesting reason. From what we can gather, the land was, until 1926, a hop field owned by James Shipstone to supply his nearby brewery. During the miners strike ( after it stopped being a general strike ) of 1926, Shipstone sympathised with the miners striking from the nearby Newcastle Colliery. In order to help them, he created paid work converting the field into allotments which they then used to grow food. He had them plant hedges and build brick sheds ( one of which is still in use on my plot) and such other work as he could find. At some point ( inquiries are ongoing) the allotments came into the Council's ownership ( maybe with a covenant?).

An interesting addition to this story is that Shipstone also gave/sold the Council the sttrip of land immediately between the allotments and the (at the time) new Ring Road for housing and went on holiday. On his return he discovered that the Council had continued to build round the corner onto the side road and stopped them. That's why the houses stop at a random point on Wilkinson St and our gate is right there.

[Trixiebelle]

That's interesting DJ. Your allotments are in Basford aren't they? Close to the Shipstone Brewery site.

I used to work in a building next to the old brewery site a few years ago.

The building was called 'The Maltings' - it was apparently used to store hops etc.

It was a very interesting building - sadly mis-used and abused by the people who owned it in 2000 and beyond.

I managed to rescue a pub-seat from the loft: An original pub bench from the Shipstone's Brewery Social Club. Complete with graffiti on the bench arms!

[mc55]

Mc55!

Every time I see a post from you I get all sentimental about Sheffield  :)

I was born and brought up there and I love the city and the people to BITS :)

awww - you are welcome to come and have a visit anytime

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've yet to find a hedged site which was originated by a Council. They've all got interesting histories, I'm sure, because they're not typical. In every case, there has to be a reason out there. My site began as private gardens for the urban non-poor, for instance, while the main allotment tradition has its roots in the provision of small plots of land for agricultural labourers, as a cheap alternative to paying them a living wage.