The Plot Thickens

Wash Common allotments are 150 years old last Thursday. I discovered that the allotment site was enclosed in the Wash Common enclosure and given to the church for the labouring poor. The enclosure award was depositied with the County Clerk on 3 April 1858 so that seemed like a good excuse for a celebration. We’re going to have birthday cake at the allotment society spring meeting on Sunday. Unfortunately the weather’s going to be dreadful, but I think it’s important to celebrate these cultural events. The whole layout of Wash Common was determined by the enclosure and it was such a significant thing for the locals at the time that it ought to be celebrated, though it seems I’m the only one who noticed.

I got a letter in the Newbury Weekly News about it:

Dear Sir

It might interest your readers to know that today is the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the enclosure of Wash Common. Of course the enclosure didn’t happen all in one day but the award - the legal document in which the Inclosure Commissioners allotted the enclosed land - was deposited with the County Clerk one hundred and fifty years ago today (3 April). The Wash Common allotments were created at this time, and we’ll be having some birthday cake at our Society Spring Meeting on Sunday to celebrate.

It’s fascinating to think that allotment gardening wasn’t created with enclosure, but that our four acre site actually preserves a window on feudal agriculture, a tradition that allotmenteering inherits. Fortunately the Local Government Association have just published a revision of their excellent good practice management guide “Growing in the Community” so allotment management doesn’t have to be medieval.

There’s something of a revival going on in allotmenteering at the moment. People are discovering how great home-grown organic fruit and veg tastes, how healthy it is to dig with the kids, how zero food-miles and composting help the environment, and for the competitive there’s both the Newbury Produce Show and National Shed Week.

There’s a great character to Wash Common allotments and tremendous good will, and the Society is looking forward to a kind growing year and welcoming new gardeners making a start this spring.