allotments

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skog

Forager
Aug 9, 2011
151
0
wicken
Hi all hoping someone can help or is in the know but was wondering is it possible to buy an allotment andif anyone knows the best places to look.

Thanks in advance but my googlefu is not strong
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,802
2,892
62
~Hemel Hempstead~
Can't say I've ever heard of anyone buying an allotment.

You normally rent an allotment from the council or similar. Have a google for your nearest town council allotments
 

bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
Allotmenst are run by Local Authorities, get on your LA website, put your name on the list and wait. How long depends on many things, but mostly its good old supply and demand.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
An allotment is just a small field. Small parcels of land are sold all the time, but the closer to a town, the more they sell for. If the land can get planning permission, it will be sold as a building plot. You want maybe half an acre of overgrown scrub. The ability to get water and even power laid on will be a bonus. With this, all you need is a few years hard work. Be prepared to pay though. Agricultural land sells for over £10,000 an acre and much more for small plots. I could see half an acre in a convenient location costing £25k or more.
 

skog

Forager
Aug 9, 2011
151
0
wicken
Guys thanks for all the replies so far. Have emailed the parish re allotments but ideally would like to own my own so best get saving
 

skog

Forager
Aug 9, 2011
151
0
wicken
Ok guys been onto the council and they have a couple of spare allotments just outside the village but they have been a bit neglected for a few years and there is no water tap etc on the site.

Are there any tips to get around this. I.e water butts etc and realistically how much work/time frame am i looking at to bring one back to life?

On the plus side rent is only £6 per year
 

StuMsg

Tenderfoot
Feb 10, 2013
83
0
Aberdeen, Scotland
Some large water butts that get filled by the rainwater from the roof of a shed could work. Perhaps have a look at the other allotments to see how they get their water, maybe ask some of the other allotmenteers how they get on without water supply.

The amount of work depends on how big and overgrown the allotment is. You could get some friends and family round on a nice saturday / sunday to get a good start. Re-pay them with some drinks and a BBQ at the allotment on the day.
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
3,652
50
Exeter
I'd have a look for a 'clean' ( as in chemical free ) IBC container off of ebay , rig up a collector of some sort and bobs your uncle.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Realistically how much work/time frame am i looking at to bring one back to life?

On the plus side rent is only £6 per year

Realistically, if this is a concern, don't do it. Restoring neglected land is hugely time consuming and the financial return is slim to none.
 

didicoy

Full Member
Mar 7, 2013
541
12
fens
realistically how much work/time frame am i looking at to bring one back to life?

On the plus side rent is only £6 per year
for such small rent. You could take it on, mulch with muck and cover most of the allotment with old carpets. Then in late winter set to clearing the rest of the rubbish from the soil. If you find that this allotment is not for you, then, chances are you will have become a good tenant and if some old boy who wants to retire, maybe persuaded to let you have his established allotment and you have prepared a allotment for a beginner or at least left it in better condition than you found it. Joining the allotment association, offers chance to learn from others, often seeds can be bought as a group buy etc. share produce, equipment. Cover watering duties at holiday times, friendship.
 

skog

Forager
Aug 9, 2011
151
0
wicken
Realistically, if this is a concern, don't do it. Restoring neglected land is hugely time consuming and the financial return is slim to none.

B R you misunderstand mate. Not scared of the hard work was just wondering on realistic time frames tho i suppose its hard to judge without pics etc...
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Time frame wise, if it's bad, you will need to put in a long day every week this year to start properly next Spring. If less bad you might get some late crops this year. Either way, a full, hard day every week is a fair estimate. I must have forty or fifty hours into my fruit and veg this week.
 

skog

Forager
Aug 9, 2011
151
0
wicken
B R and all the others thanks for all the replies. Going to arrange a viewing andbmaybe put some pics up here if people dont mind as im a complete novice at this
 

bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
We took on an abandoned allotment 2 novembers ago, dug some ground where it seemed easiest, started clearing the worst bits. Put in some crops the following spring, spuds are a great crop for sorting out soil. It fed us all last summer.
OK, we put. Alot of effort into clearing it, building raised bedsetc, even spent quite a bit of cash, BUT that was all up front investment. This year so fra its been less work, still a lot, but less, and much less cost, and it will feed us even more, it already is.
join the allotment assoc as suggested, use plastic/leaf mold/much as a mulch to kill weeds, whatever, but just get some crops in.
Red is right, its work and regular, but its good healthy exercise and there are lots of folk who will be happy to advise, we have learned so much from the folk on out allotments, and we were not ignorant to start with !
 

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,422
614
Knowhere
I took on an allotment just over three years ago, I think I have just about got it tamed now as it was a mess, I am still learning about the characteristics of the plot though, and am beginning to doubt some conventional wisdom about crop rotation. Rotating my spuds every year has meant that I still have potatoes coming up where I did not plant them from the previous year.

Biggest worry though in this time of austerity, is the pressure on Councils to sell off allotment land. For that reason alone I can see the attraction of actually owning a plot of land.
 

fellows

Tenderfoot
Apr 1, 2015
86
6
Dorset
Get a greenhouse on the plot and you will have a water source with a water butt. We have two rigged onto ours to make use of the rainy winters

Sent from my GT-S5690 using Tapatalk 2
 

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