History of Allotments

2012-03-01T08:01:31Z

BAK: /* Local Allotment Site Histories */

History of Allotments

2011-11-04T11:40:56Z

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2010-02-19T07:38:49Z

BAK:

For Newbies

2010-01-24T17:51:34Z

BAK:

For Newbies

2009-12-28T11:19:12Z

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History of Allotments

2009-12-28T11:16:45Z

BAK: /* Local Allotment Site Histories */

[[Main Page]]

==A Brief History of Allotments in England & Wales==

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

* 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.

* 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

* 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.

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.

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.

==Further Reading (Books)==

There are a number of interesting books which cover the history of allotments in the UK.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

==Further Reading (Web-based Material)==

Some useful articles can be found on the Internet, including:

* [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

* [http://www.bkthisandthat.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.

* [http://www.kitchengardens.dial.pipex.com/history.htm a very brief history of allotments in England & Wales]

* [http://www.bkthisandthat.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.

==Local Allotment Site Histories==

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.

* [http://www.bkthisandthat.org.uk/SunningdaleHistory.html Sunningdale Allotments (Berkshire)]
* [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Attachments/Internet/Leisure/Parks_and_recreation/Allotments/allotments%20appendices.doc A History of Edinburgh’s Allotments]
* [http://www.staa-allotments.org.uk/heritage/history.htm St. Ann's, Nottingham]
* [http://www.windowonwoking.org.uk/sites/haa/history Horsell (Woking)]
* [http://www.londonallotments.net/research/historylon.html London Allotments]
* [http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5275_path__0p116p1034p1035p.aspx Brighton & Hove]
* [http://www.firsestateallotments.co.uk/history.htm Firs Estate Allotments (Derby)]
* [http://www.hants.gov.uk/growyourown/page5.html Highcliffe Allotments (Winchester)]
* [http://www.cthorpeallotments.co.uk/history.html Countesthorpe Gardens and Allotments Society (Leicestershire)]
* [http://www.hoxtonmanorallotments.org.uk/content/view/38/49/ Hoxton Manor Allotments]
* [http://www.ansteyallotments.btik.com/p_About_Us.ikml Cropston Road Allotment Association (Anstey)]
* [http://www.allotments.fsnet.co.uk/history.html Horfield & District Allotment Association]
* [http://www.rippingalevillage.co.uk/AllotmentHistory-index.htm Rippingale]
* [http://www.childshillallotments.org.uk/his/pages/history1.html Child's Hill]
* [http://www.benshammanorallotments.org.uk/index.php?f=data_home&a=4 Bensham Manor]
* [http://www.fulham-allotments.org/History.html Fulham Palace Meadows]
* [http://www.trapgroundallotments.org.uk/history.html Trap Ground (North Oxford)]
* [http://www.shas.org.uk/History Sale Horticultural & Allotment Society]
* [http://www.clipstoneallotments.org.uk/6.html Clipstone Allotment Association]
* [http://imberhorneallotments.org/allotment%20history.htm Imberhorne Allotments]
* [http://www.lynwoodallotments.co.uk/hub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=70 Lynwood Road Allotment Association]
* [http://www.lraa.co.uk/our_history.htm London Road Allotments (Coventry]
* [http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/Orgs/WAGA/waga-history.htm Wivenhoe Allotment & Gardens Association]
* [http://www.edgbastonguineagardens.org.uk/id1.html Edgbaston Guinea Gardens]
* [http://www.fedaga.org.uk/history ''When Plotters Meet'' (Edinburgh Allotments 1921-2001)]
* [http://www.blandford-allotments.co.uk/history.htm Blandford Forum]
* [http://www.eastfinchleyallotments.co.uk/history.html East Finchley]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hayley.weightman/hraa/info.htm#history Hill Rise Allotment Association (St. Ives in Cambs)]
* [http://cpaga.org.uk/site.htm Cottenham Park Allotments (SW20)]

Latest additions ...
* [http://longbarrow.co.uk/blog/history-of-longbarrow-allotments/ Longbarrow Allotments]
* [http://www.roehamptonallotments.co.uk/rgs/history/ Roehampton Allotments]
* [http://www.froyleparishcouncil.org.uk/parcon03.htm Froyle Parish Council Allotments]
* [http://www.romfordsmallholderssociety.org.uk/history.htm Romford SmallHolders Society]
* [http://www.digglelaneallotments.co.uk/html/history.htm Diggle Lane Allotment Association]
* [http://www.resourcefulwriter.co.uk/51401.html Great Somerford (only available in book form - ''The Poor Man's Best Friend'' by Jill Shearer]

List last updated on 7th December 2009.

==A Call for More Local Allotment Histories==

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.

Possible sources of material in the UK include:

* Council Records
* Council Minutes
* Church Records
* [http://www.a2a.org.uk/ Access to Archives]

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.

History of Allotments

2009-12-28T11:15:47Z

BAK: /* Further Reading (Web-based Material) */

[[Main Page]]

==A Brief History of Allotments in England & Wales==

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

* 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.

* 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

* 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.

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.

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.

==Further Reading (Books)==

There are a number of interesting books which cover the history of allotments in the UK.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

==Further Reading (Web-based Material)==

Some useful articles can be found on the Internet, including:

* [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

* [http://www.bkthisandthat.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.

* [http://www.kitchengardens.dial.pipex.com/history.htm a very brief history of allotments in England & Wales]

* [http://www.bkthisandthat.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.

==Local Allotment Site Histories==

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.

* [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org.uk/SunningdaleHistory.html Sunningdale Allotments (Berkshire)]
* [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Attachments/Internet/Leisure/Parks_and_recreation/Allotments/allotments%20appendices.doc A History of Edinburgh’s Allotments]
* [http://www.staa-allotments.org.uk/heritage/history.htm St. Ann's, Nottingham]
* [http://www.windowonwoking.org.uk/sites/haa/history Horsell (Woking)]
* [http://www.londonallotments.net/research/historylon.html London Allotments]
* [http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5275_path__0p116p1034p1035p.aspx Brighton & Hove]
* [http://www.firsestateallotments.co.uk/history.htm Firs Estate Allotments (Derby)]
* [http://www.hants.gov.uk/growyourown/page5.html Highcliffe Allotments (Winchester)]
* [http://www.cthorpeallotments.co.uk/history.html Countesthorpe Gardens and Allotments Society (Leicestershire)]
* [http://www.hoxtonmanorallotments.org.uk/content/view/38/49/ Hoxton Manor Allotments]
* [http://www.ansteyallotments.btik.com/p_About_Us.ikml Cropston Road Allotment Association (Anstey)]
* [http://www.allotments.fsnet.co.uk/history.html Horfield & District Allotment Association]
* [http://www.rippingalevillage.co.uk/AllotmentHistory-index.htm Rippingale]
* [http://www.childshillallotments.org.uk/his/pages/history1.html Child's Hill]
* [http://www.benshammanorallotments.org.uk/index.php?f=data_home&a=4 Bensham Manor]
* [http://www.fulham-allotments.org/History.html Fulham Palace Meadows]
* [http://www.trapgroundallotments.org.uk/history.html Trap Ground (North Oxford)]
* [http://www.shas.org.uk/History Sale Horticultural & Allotment Society]
* [http://www.clipstoneallotments.org.uk/6.html Clipstone Allotment Association]
* [http://imberhorneallotments.org/allotment%20history.htm Imberhorne Allotments]
* [http://www.lynwoodallotments.co.uk/hub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=70 Lynwood Road Allotment Association]
* [http://www.lraa.co.uk/our_history.htm London Road Allotments (Coventry]
* [http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/Orgs/WAGA/waga-history.htm Wivenhoe Allotment & Gardens Association]
* [http://www.edgbastonguineagardens.org.uk/id1.html Edgbaston Guinea Gardens]
* [http://www.fedaga.org.uk/history ''When Plotters Meet'' (Edinburgh Allotments 1921-2001)]
* [http://www.blandford-allotments.co.uk/history.htm Blandford Forum]
* [http://www.eastfinchleyallotments.co.uk/history.html East Finchley]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hayley.weightman/hraa/info.htm#history Hill Rise Allotment Association (St. Ives in Cambs)]
* [http://cpaga.org.uk/site.htm Cottenham Park Allotments (SW20)]

Latest additions ...
* [http://longbarrow.co.uk/blog/history-of-longbarrow-allotments/ Longbarrow Allotments]
* [http://www.roehamptonallotments.co.uk/rgs/history/ Roehampton Allotments]
* [http://www.froyleparishcouncil.org.uk/parcon03.htm Froyle Parish Council Allotments]
* [http://www.romfordsmallholderssociety.org.uk/history.htm Romford SmallHolders Society]
* [http://www.digglelaneallotments.co.uk/html/history.htm Diggle Lane Allotment Association]
* [http://www.resourcefulwriter.co.uk/51401.html Great Somerford (only available in book form - ''The Poor Man's Best Friend'' by Jill Shearer]

List last updated on 7th December 2009.

==A Call for More Local Allotment Histories==

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.

Possible sources of material in the UK include:

* Council Records
* Council Minutes
* Church Records
* [http://www.a2a.org.uk/ Access to Archives]

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.

History of Allotments

2009-12-10T08:19:50Z

BAK:

[[Main Page]]

==A Brief History of Allotments in England & Wales==

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

* 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.

* 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

* 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.

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.

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.

==Further Reading (Books)==

There are a number of interesting books which cover the history of allotments in the UK.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

==Further Reading (Web-based Material)==

Some useful articles can be found on the Internet, including:

* [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

* [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.

* [http://www.kitchengardens.dial.pipex.com/history.htm a very brief history of allotments in England & Wales]

* [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.

==Local Allotment Site Histories==

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.

* [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org.uk/SunningdaleHistory.html Sunningdale Allotments (Berkshire)]
* [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Attachments/Internet/Leisure/Parks_and_recreation/Allotments/allotments%20appendices.doc A History of Edinburgh’s Allotments]
* [http://www.staa-allotments.org.uk/heritage/history.htm St. Ann's, Nottingham]
* [http://www.windowonwoking.org.uk/sites/haa/history Horsell (Woking)]
* [http://www.londonallotments.net/research/historylon.html London Allotments]
* [http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5275_path__0p116p1034p1035p.aspx Brighton & Hove]
* [http://www.firsestateallotments.co.uk/history.htm Firs Estate Allotments (Derby)]
* [http://www.hants.gov.uk/growyourown/page5.html Highcliffe Allotments (Winchester)]
* [http://www.cthorpeallotments.co.uk/history.html Countesthorpe Gardens and Allotments Society (Leicestershire)]
* [http://www.hoxtonmanorallotments.org.uk/content/view/38/49/ Hoxton Manor Allotments]
* [http://www.ansteyallotments.btik.com/p_About_Us.ikml Cropston Road Allotment Association (Anstey)]
* [http://www.allotments.fsnet.co.uk/history.html Horfield & District Allotment Association]
* [http://www.rippingalevillage.co.uk/AllotmentHistory-index.htm Rippingale]
* [http://www.childshillallotments.org.uk/his/pages/history1.html Child's Hill]
* [http://www.benshammanorallotments.org.uk/index.php?f=data_home&a=4 Bensham Manor]
* [http://www.fulham-allotments.org/History.html Fulham Palace Meadows]
* [http://www.trapgroundallotments.org.uk/history.html Trap Ground (North Oxford)]
* [http://www.shas.org.uk/History Sale Horticultural & Allotment Society]
* [http://www.clipstoneallotments.org.uk/6.html Clipstone Allotment Association]
* [http://imberhorneallotments.org/allotment%20history.htm Imberhorne Allotments]
* [http://www.lynwoodallotments.co.uk/hub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=70 Lynwood Road Allotment Association]
* [http://www.lraa.co.uk/our_history.htm London Road Allotments (Coventry]
* [http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/Orgs/WAGA/waga-history.htm Wivenhoe Allotment & Gardens Association]
* [http://www.edgbastonguineagardens.org.uk/id1.html Edgbaston Guinea Gardens]
* [http://www.fedaga.org.uk/history ''When Plotters Meet'' (Edinburgh Allotments 1921-2001)]
* [http://www.blandford-allotments.co.uk/history.htm Blandford Forum]
* [http://www.eastfinchleyallotments.co.uk/history.html East Finchley]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hayley.weightman/hraa/info.htm#history Hill Rise Allotment Association (St. Ives in Cambs)]
* [http://cpaga.org.uk/site.htm Cottenham Park Allotments (SW20)]

Latest additions ...
* [http://longbarrow.co.uk/blog/history-of-longbarrow-allotments/ Longbarrow Allotments]
* [http://www.roehamptonallotments.co.uk/rgs/history/ Roehampton Allotments]
* [http://www.froyleparishcouncil.org.uk/parcon03.htm Froyle Parish Council Allotments]
* [http://www.romfordsmallholderssociety.org.uk/history.htm Romford SmallHolders Society]
* [http://www.digglelaneallotments.co.uk/html/history.htm Diggle Lane Allotment Association]
* [http://www.resourcefulwriter.co.uk/51401.html Great Somerford (only available in book form - ''The Poor Man's Best Friend'' by Jill Shearer]

List last updated on 7th December 2009.

==A Call for More Local Allotment Histories==

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.

Possible sources of material in the UK include:

* Council Records
* Council Minutes
* Church Records
* [http://www.a2a.org.uk/ Access to Archives]

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.

History of Allotments

2009-12-07T10:49:47Z

2008-12-10T13:00:30Z

BAK:

[[Main Page]]

==Where to find initial advice to get 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:

* [http://downtheplot.com Eristic] – particularly good at clearance and first year cultivation plus the growing of some of the more unusual crops

* [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org.uk Sunningdale Allotments] – includes "new to allotment?" and approaches pages plus lots of links to other sites

* [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

* [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.

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

* [http://www.myallotments.com StevePartridge]

* [http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/ vegmandan]

* [http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html allaboutliverpool].

Finally, [http://www.sunningdaleallotments.org/FirstYearExperiences.html click here] to find the thoughts of one newbie on her first year on the plot.