3rd April 2006
Britain’s largest and oldest surviving allotment is to be preserved by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) it was announced today.
St. Ann’s Allotments, in Nottingham, which date back to 1830 is recognised as being the largest and oldest allotment site in the UK. The fortunes of the Grade II* landscape are now on the up thanks to a £2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The award of £1.992 million will reverse decades of neglect, rescuing the largely intact layout and preserving the remaining historic features which include one of the few Grade II listed garden sheds, plus several Victorian summerhouses and greenhouses.
The allotments were originally created as Detached Town Gardens and were used as retreats by wealthy families before much of Nottingham was built. Times have changed and the allotments now rest within one of the most deprived areas of Nottingham and represent a rare green space in an area of high density inner city housing with over 44,000 local inhabitants.
(St Ann's - ariel shot)
In recent years, the allotments have been blighted by vandalism and fly tipping and many of the historical structures have been damaged. The plans include improved boundary fences, repair and renovation of drives and historical structures, clearance of overgrown pathways and unused sites to ensure the gardens are safe and free from anti-social behaviour, encouraging residents to use and enjoy the gardens to their full potential.
Despite its troubles, the gardens are a well used and much loved asset to the local area. Of the 677 plots, 500 are actively used covering an area of over 32 hectares and several community organisations use it as their base or run frequent events on site. Allotments are, and always have been, very social places. Many local residents have vivid memories of the allotments from their childhood and local support for the restoration project is fierce. The project to restore the site has been led by a consortium of social enterprises dedicated to securing full use of the area. The improvement works will provide opportunities for local people to learn new skills to help them gain employment, for example building skills for the construction industry.
The money will fund research into the social history of the site and local residents are being asked to come forward with stories and pictures of the gardens in their hey day. Ultimately, an archive of the histories of the individual plots and their gardeners will be created for the public to view and explore. A programme of activities is also being planned to engage with the local community to encourage more people to use and benefit from the gardens.
On hearing the news, local resident and allotment holder, Jill Westby said, “I am delighted that much-needed improvements to the St Ann’s Allotments are to be made possible by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The site has suffered from years of neglect and decline, and the infrastructure in particular is in desperate need of improvement.
It’s good to know that future gardeners will benefit from the improved state of the allotments and the land will continue to be used as allotments”.
Explaining the importance of the award HLF’s regional manager Emma Sale said, “St Ann’s Allotments are a much loved and unique heritage gem in the heart of Nottingham. This funding will vastly improve the gardens and offer it a secure future for generations to come. Historic features will be preserved so that visitors are more aware of its heritage value, and key facilities will be added so that it can function as effectively and safely as possible. The project will truly benefit the local community, improving an already popular space for everyone to enjoy.”
This is the second HLF grant to the site. The first in 2002 for £22,000 funded a Conservation Management Plan which offered a full and detailed understanding of the site and its historical value and was instrumental in developing the current proposals for the full scale restoration.