Allotments: Can you dig it?!

Allotments have their history spread out over hundreds of years; allotments themselves were born out of the controversial enclosure legislation of the 18^th & 19^th centuries. The enclosure legislation involved rich landowners fencing their land off in order to prevent the common people from using it as grazing for their animals. The word ‘Allotment’ itself originates from a piece of land being ‘allotted’ to somebody.

Allotments as we know them today have their roots in Victorian England. Those who lived in the countryside moved into the rapidly developing towns and cities to work during the industrial revolution. The working classes in these towns and cities often lived in poverty and squalor, which in turn led to a great deal of immoral behaviour. In an attempt by the upper classes to rescue the working classes from leading such an evil life, allotments were offered. These allotments provided an alternative for getting drunk and other unworthy pursuits, such as gambling.

The next big developments for Allotments began on the home front in Britain during the major conflicts of the 20^th century. During the First World War, German submarines destroyed a huge number of British merchant ships carrying essential supplies to Great Britain, supplies sank included food. Any piece of land which could be converted to growing food was converted to make up for this shortfall, many gardens were converted into allotments and often chickens were kept in back gardens.

A month after the Second World War broke out; the Government Ministry of Agriculture launched one of the most famous propaganda campaigns of the entire war in ‘Dig for Victory’ This was a campaign to get civilians to convert every scrap of land possible to growing food. Growing your own food not only provided food for yourselves and your friends, it also freed up vital space on merchant convoys. Three years into the war, over a million tons of fruit and veg were being grown every year. Land everywhere was dug up, including Kensington gardens!!

Post Second World War, allotments were in rapid decline. In the two years immediately after the war a staggering half a million allotments disappeared, parks reverted back to being parks and gardens began to be filled with flowers, not vegetables. This was done even though rationing continued until 1954. During the 1950’s and 60’s allotment popularity continued to decline. By 1970 there was little over half a million plots. Improved standards of living led to a reduced interest in allotments, existing allotments became run down and often vandalised.

Attitudes to allotments in this period are summed up by the Only Fools and Horse episode ‘Mother Nature’s son’ Del inherits his granddads allotment and in turn receives a summon from the council, instructing him to remove a public health hazard from the site. The health hazard turns out to be a rather worrying set of barrels containing an unknown yellow substance.

Thankfully, in the last couple of years allotments have enjoyed resurgence in popularity. Some councils now have a staggering ten year waiting list for people to get their hands on an allotment and some have closed their waiting lists entirely.  So why the sudden increase in the popularity of allotments?

Allotments first of all increase the owners food security, they remove the guilt of food miles that comes from shop bought produce, allotments are also fun and offer an inexpensive way of obtaining that all important fresh fruit and veg.

So how do you get involved?

• Find a nearby Allotment site and put your name down
• Start small. If you are a beginner 10×10 foot is recommended
• Start growing the easier things to grow
• Look after the soil, its fertility is vital to the success of your allotment

Here at Birstall we stock everything the budding allotmenteer needs. From Fruit and Vegetable seeds to Sheds and tools it’s all here at great prices.

Published August 9th, 2013 by Jordan. Article ref 592

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