The Development Of The Allotment
- AD410 in the Saxon times, communities cleared land together, sharing out ‘allotted land’ areas between themselves.
- 1066 Following the Norman conquest , land ownership was confined to lords of the manor & the church.
- 1600 During the reign of Elizabeth the first the first evidence of allotments is made, as land is given to the poor to compensate them for the enclosure of common land.
- 1845 The general enclosure act included a requirement to provide land for allotments where common ground was enclosed.
- 1887 The allotments & cottage gardens for compensation for crops act obliged local authorities to provide allotments, if there was a required demand.
- 1907 the small holdings & allotment act clarified the responsibilities of local authorities to provide allotments.
- 1914 Germanys blockade during the first world war led to an increased demand for allotments , although after the war it fell again.
- 1939 The second world war , and its ‘DIG FOR VICTORY’ campaign brought allotments & gardening to the forefront of British life. The amount of allotments in the British Isles peaked at 1.5 million.
- 1960 Disuse & development led to a decrease in allotments that were available.
Blog & Research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)
To be Continued ……
