Links to Allotment Site Histories

If there is an obvious gap in the history of allotments it is the relative lack of local site histories which might help to give us a greater understanding of the movement as a whole. This page is an attempt to provide a repository of links to existing histories which are available on the web or simply in paper form, and to encourage people to write a history of their own site.

Wandering slightly aimlessly around the web looking for new histories which can be added is a somewhat slow and painful task for me. If you know of a link, possibly to a history of your own site, I would be extremely grateful if you could let me have the details. You can email me here.

This page was last updated on December 16th, 2022.

The complete list follows. I have split the entries into two categories: detailed histories and potted histories. Each list is in alphabetic order of place name.

Detailed Histories

When Plotters Meet (Edinburgh Allotments 1921-2001)
Great Somerford (only available in book form – The Poor Man’s Best Friend by Jill Shearer)
Duxford Allotment Society (scroll down to history link and click on it)
Horfield & District Allotments Association
The landscape and culture of allotments: a study in Hornchurch, Essex
Lincoln’s Allotments: A History (only available in book form – written by Geoff Tann)
Merrylee (Glasgow)
Moseley – Moor Green Allotments
Moorside Allotments (Newcastle)
Queens Road Allotments (Leicester)
Reading Allotments
Stuart Road Allotments (Peckham Rye)
Sunningdale Allotments
Urban Allotment Gardens in Sheffield
Watford (transcript of a talk by Mary Reid to the West Watford History Group)

Potted Histories

All links were last checked on December 16th, 2022. Broken links have been mended where it has been possible to find a replacement address for a page. Otherwise the entry has been flagged. If the link cannot be resolved in the fullness of time then it will be removed.

Write your own history

Why not consider writing a history of your own site? The majority of sites usually have at least one or two individuals who are interested in local history. It can make for a useful and interesting winter project when there is not much to do on the plot.

It does not have to be “War and Peace”. One or two pages of A4 paper can be enough to usefully describe the formation of your site and the major subsequent events.

Possible sources of material in the UK include:

Council Records
Council Minutes
Church Records
Access to Archives – this is an electronic archive to selected historical material.

Older Council or Church material may be held in the 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.