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Eccleshall Celebrates a Centenary Year
The majority of allotments before the First World War (1914-1918) were mainly found in rural and semi-rural districts of the country, but Sheffield was the exception in that it had numerous allotments since the beginning of the 18th century.
In December 1916, the government issued a draconian statute of land reform called the Defence of The Realm Act (DORA). Land was chosen and placed under compulsory purchase for the purpose of growing food for the nation during times of great need. A few months later the Kaiser threatened that German U-boats would ‘frighten the British flag off the face of the waters and starve the British people, until they, who have refused peace, will kneel and plead for it.’ People from all levels of society began to cultivate allotments. Even George V and Queen Mary took to the task, recruiting guests to help them; the King ordered that Royal Parks should be used to grow potatoes, cabbages etc., and that public parks, commons, golf courses and tennis courts should become allotments.
In October 1917, the Improvement Surveyor (Council) wrote to
Sir William Ellis about this field in Eccleshall, saying that ‘at their meeting the other day, the Cultivation of Lands Committee had under consideration the question of providing allotments for a number of applicants in Eccleshall district and asked me to write to you with regard to the field owned by you, lying between Eccleshall Church and your residence’. The land was also partly owned by the Eccleshall Church and it too had its land compulsory taken, under DORA.
The Council, thereupon, leased the land and paid £15 per annum.
Earl Fitzwilliam, on whose estate this
field was, sold the land to the Council
and has remained in its ownership.
This enabled greater security of tenure
for the allottees. The Sheffield and
district Allotments Federation records
in the minutes at the time, that it was
‘resolved that the lease from the Vicar
of Eccleshall Church in the 1960s sold
the land for building private houses’.
The map of Eccleshall allotment site
indicates in blue the plots that were
sold off by the Eccleshall church. In
1968 the Church sold its part of the
land for housing. The allotment site still
contains evidence of those early years with iron baths, now used for catching rain water, findings of clinker (used for paths), china, pottery and fragments of clay pipe.
Margaret Boulton
Secretary of Eccleshall Allotments Association
Taken from: A History of Allotments in Sheffield by Margaret Boulton. Published December 2017. See page 22 for a book review and more information.
Inverleith Allotments Centenary 1918 -2018
Following food shortages after World War One, the City of Edinburgh Council responded to the state of national emergency regarding food shortages.
On the 2nd December 1916 the Town Clerk submitted a letter from the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. The Board invited the cooperation of corporations in arranging for vacant land and other land within the city being brought under cultivation.
On the 26th February 1918 the committee considered a motion regarding the giving up of 5 acres of ground for allotments in Inverleith Park. A fence would be moved from around the entire
park to protect the new allotments from sheep, and it was agreed that rent of the allotments should be 10/- shillings each.
‘The Scotsman’ reported on 20th March 1918 that 123 allotments had been let at Inverleith Park and that there were
53 applicants on a waiting list for more allotments in that neighbourhood. The Committee decided that morning to grant another section of Inverleith Park for cultivation in 123 allotments.
Inverleith have produced a beautifully illustrated history of their site that can be downloaded at www.inverleithallotments.org.uk/ uploads/1/6/1/0/16102276/compressed_inverleith_100_complete. pdf.
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