What is an Allotment?

An allotment is a plot of land made available to an individual or family for growing fruit and vegetables for their own use. They are normally provided on lands owned by a local authority such as a district council or parish for a relatively low annual rental. The law varies on the matter throughout the UK, but generally speaking local authorities are responsible for providing allotments for the use of the public.

Allotments, in the modern sense, first grew in popularity during the early 20th century as a response to intense industrialisation and urbanisation which prevented many families from having access to their own land on which to grow food. Like many pastimes allotment gardening has gone in and out of fashion over the years. Recently there has been a resurgence in popularity as people gain greater connection with the production of their food and enjoy the recreational and social side of tending their plots.

Tending an allotment requires a lot of effort and this can overwhelm some people. But persevere; the rewards of your hard work and efforts make it all worth it in the long run. Cherish your lottie and you can reap the rewards for years to come. And never forget, with pressures from development and constrained budgets many allotment sites have been lost over the years- this is much less likely in an active and well cared for allotment site.

Hence I declare - love your Lottie!