A History of Allotments in the parish of Woodbury
In 1887 the Allotments Act was introduced, which made it possible for local authorities to acquire land for allotments – by compulsory purchase if necessary. It also made it compulsory for local authorities to provide allotments where there was demand for them.
Some local authorities resisted, and in 1908 a further bill went through Parliament known as the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, which forced councils to provide allotments where there was demand. This Act is still in place today and a local authority is obliged to provide allotments if there is demand from more than 6 people. During the First World War Germany’s blockade caused food shortages which increased the demand for allotments. One source of land suitable for allotments but not large enough for general agricultural use was the land owned by railway companies. These parcels of land were often allotted to the railway workers and this is the reason that you will often see allotments by railway lines today.
Following WW1 there was a decrease in demand for allotments and this, combined with increased demand for building land for housing reduced the number of allotments. But in the Second World War when Britain was again blockaded and food ran short the pressure for allotments was greater than it had been during the First World War, and even public parks were pressed into use for food production. The famous ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign exhorted and educated the public to produce their own food and save shipping needed for war materials.
After the war the result of demands for more and more building land saw the re-establishment of the Allotments Advisory Body which in 1949 recommended a scale of provision of 4 acres per 1,000 head of population. This resulted in the Allotment Act of 1950. Food rationing kept the demand for allotments and home grown foods high until the end of the war although rationing continued until 1954. The desire for allotments has fluctuated over the last 50 or more years, but recently there has been a resurgence of local people growing their own fruit and vegetables.
There is very little written evidence of the allotments in the parish, though the maps of the period show where some of them were sited. There have been at least four different sites in Woodbury village, the earliest being in 1895 when the Rolle Estate offered the Parish Council an 8 acre field near the Globe Inn, which was farmed by Henry Glanvill, for the village allotments at a yearly rent of 50s per acre.
At the same time the Rolle Estate offered a field of 5 ¾ acres, farmed by Mr Alford, at the rent of 35s for allotments at Exton. The allotment applicants at Exton refused the field which was offered to them, though the parish councillors, who inspected the field, considered it suitable for allotments. They appear to have accepted this land, though, as in 1939 a report was sent to the Parish Council concerning the condition of allotments at Exton and the fence adjoining Mr Alford’s field, which would imply that they were still on the Alford’s land, though not necessarily on the same field.
Due to a need to build new houses after WW2 it was suggested that eight should be built in Exton on the old allotment field, so it is possible that these allotments had been abandoned after the war.
The attached map shows the allotments on Globe Hill as well as those in Parsonage Way opposite Parsonage House.
In 1939 Mr Bishop was instructed to repair the rails and steps of the stiles on the footpath from the Allotment Field to Woodbury Salterton. We can see from this that at that time the Parsonage allotments were being used.
In 1943 a petition was received from Woodbury Allotment holders asking for the council’s help in procuring a fresh allotment field as the present one had become ‘potato sick’ and was no longer suitable. The Parish Council agreed to support them. It is probable that this refers to the Parsonage Allotment Field as it was certainly not used for that purpose after WW2, though it is likely that all three sites were in use throughout most of the war. It is not known what action the Parish Council took but, since the Globe Field was still in use, it may have been that more acreage was added to that to replace the bad allotment. All allotments had ceased in the village by the 1960s as interest in growing ones own vegetables had waned and shops were able to provide everyone’s wants.
This map of 1905 shows Allotment Gardens south of the Gilbrook close to Bridge Pit Farm. This map is the only indication of possible allotments on this site, but there is no mention of them in the council minutes so they may have been privately let.
In 1907 Mr Madge of Woodbury Salterton asked for an acre of land (under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act), to which request the Parish clerk asked where he wanted it and how much he was prepared to pay. There is no more information about this person or whether he acquired his plot, but there is evidence that there were early allotments, according to a farmer from Woodbury Salterton, at the top of the hill of Higher Road on a two-acre site.
These allotments had vanished by the 1950s; in fact the area became the village football field. There seem to have been no more allotments until in the last few years some more land was acquired near the School House in the middle of the village.
The Parish Council minutes listed allotment holders at the beginning of WWI, two of them were actually market gardeners earning a living from the produce from their plots – the size of their plots can be seen from the rent they paid: Herbert Symes of Exton (£2. 6s. 6d), Joseph Pyke of Gulliford (15s. 9d), William Thomas (15s 6d), John Gooding, Joseph Kerby, Hermon Knowles, William Knowles, James Perryman and George Tucker (all paid 7s. 9d).
The efforts being made to augment food supplies in the parish can be seen from minutes of the council. In 1915 it records that ‘a resident of Woodbury, who desires to remain anonymous, has authorised a local tradesman to supply every cottager with a 'packet of turnip and of cabbage seed on condition they are planted at once with a view to prevent any shortage in the coming War.’ A War Agricultural Organization Committee was formed to distribute seed potatoes which were provided by Devon County Council in March 1917 and three months later the following poster was displayed in the Parish:
'In view of the urgency to make the most of our potato crop, the Committee has decided to purchase a sprayer by the use of which it is hoped to secure a much larger crop and freedom from disease. Growers desiring to have the use of same are invited to make application to Miss Fulford or to any member of the parish council not later than Tuesday, June 12th. The estimated cost of spraying the crop, which includes labour, is about four pence per land yard.'
In 1996, the centenary year of the Parish Council, once more allotments were requested by some parishioners. The place chosen was a large triangle of land between the footpath of Pathfields and Watery Lane at the top of Bonfire Hill. After a few years of struggle against thistles and other field weeds with hard work, and large amounts of manure and compost, the land has been made very fertile and the allotments are thriving.
The Covid 19 crisis of 2020 and ensuing lockdowns has meant that allotment holders have had the time to devote to their plots and the whole area is flourishing with all types of vegetables and soft fruits.
Some local authorities resisted, and in 1908 a further bill went through Parliament known as the Small Holdings and Allotments Act, which forced councils to provide allotments where there was demand. This Act is still in place today and a local authority is obliged to provide allotments if there is demand from more than 6 people. During the First World War Germany’s blockade caused food shortages which increased the demand for allotments. One source of land suitable for allotments but not large enough for general agricultural use was the land owned by railway companies. These parcels of land were often allotted to the railway workers and this is the reason that you will often see allotments by railway lines today.
Following WW1 there was a decrease in demand for allotments and this, combined with increased demand for building land for housing reduced the number of allotments. But in the Second World War when Britain was again blockaded and food ran short the pressure for allotments was greater than it had been during the First World War, and even public parks were pressed into use for food production. The famous ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign exhorted and educated the public to produce their own food and save shipping needed for war materials.
After the war the result of demands for more and more building land saw the re-establishment of the Allotments Advisory Body which in 1949 recommended a scale of provision of 4 acres per 1,000 head of population. This resulted in the Allotment Act of 1950. Food rationing kept the demand for allotments and home grown foods high until the end of the war although rationing continued until 1954. The desire for allotments has fluctuated over the last 50 or more years, but recently there has been a resurgence of local people growing their own fruit and vegetables.
There is very little written evidence of the allotments in the parish, though the maps of the period show where some of them were sited. There have been at least four different sites in Woodbury village, the earliest being in 1895 when the Rolle Estate offered the Parish Council an 8 acre field near the Globe Inn, which was farmed by Henry Glanvill, for the village allotments at a yearly rent of 50s per acre.
At the same time the Rolle Estate offered a field of 5 ¾ acres, farmed by Mr Alford, at the rent of 35s for allotments at Exton. The allotment applicants at Exton refused the field which was offered to them, though the parish councillors, who inspected the field, considered it suitable for allotments. They appear to have accepted this land, though, as in 1939 a report was sent to the Parish Council concerning the condition of allotments at Exton and the fence adjoining Mr Alford’s field, which would imply that they were still on the Alford’s land, though not necessarily on the same field.
Due to a need to build new houses after WW2 it was suggested that eight should be built in Exton on the old allotment field, so it is possible that these allotments had been abandoned after the war.
The attached map shows the allotments on Globe Hill as well as those in Parsonage Way opposite Parsonage House.
In 1939 Mr Bishop was instructed to repair the rails and steps of the stiles on the footpath from the Allotment Field to Woodbury Salterton. We can see from this that at that time the Parsonage allotments were being used.
In 1943 a petition was received from Woodbury Allotment holders asking for the council’s help in procuring a fresh allotment field as the present one had become ‘potato sick’ and was no longer suitable. The Parish Council agreed to support them. It is probable that this refers to the Parsonage Allotment Field as it was certainly not used for that purpose after WW2, though it is likely that all three sites were in use throughout most of the war. It is not known what action the Parish Council took but, since the Globe Field was still in use, it may have been that more acreage was added to that to replace the bad allotment. All allotments had ceased in the village by the 1960s as interest in growing ones own vegetables had waned and shops were able to provide everyone’s wants.
This map of 1905 shows Allotment Gardens south of the Gilbrook close to Bridge Pit Farm. This map is the only indication of possible allotments on this site, but there is no mention of them in the council minutes so they may have been privately let.
In 1907 Mr Madge of Woodbury Salterton asked for an acre of land (under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act), to which request the Parish clerk asked where he wanted it and how much he was prepared to pay. There is no more information about this person or whether he acquired his plot, but there is evidence that there were early allotments, according to a farmer from Woodbury Salterton, at the top of the hill of Higher Road on a two-acre site.
These allotments had vanished by the 1950s; in fact the area became the village football field. There seem to have been no more allotments until in the last few years some more land was acquired near the School House in the middle of the village.
The Parish Council minutes listed allotment holders at the beginning of WWI, two of them were actually market gardeners earning a living from the produce from their plots – the size of their plots can be seen from the rent they paid: Herbert Symes of Exton (£2. 6s. 6d), Joseph Pyke of Gulliford (15s. 9d), William Thomas (15s 6d), John Gooding, Joseph Kerby, Hermon Knowles, William Knowles, James Perryman and George Tucker (all paid 7s. 9d).
The efforts being made to augment food supplies in the parish can be seen from minutes of the council. In 1915 it records that ‘a resident of Woodbury, who desires to remain anonymous, has authorised a local tradesman to supply every cottager with a 'packet of turnip and of cabbage seed on condition they are planted at once with a view to prevent any shortage in the coming War.’ A War Agricultural Organization Committee was formed to distribute seed potatoes which were provided by Devon County Council in March 1917 and three months later the following poster was displayed in the Parish:
'In view of the urgency to make the most of our potato crop, the Committee has decided to purchase a sprayer by the use of which it is hoped to secure a much larger crop and freedom from disease. Growers desiring to have the use of same are invited to make application to Miss Fulford or to any member of the parish council not later than Tuesday, June 12th. The estimated cost of spraying the crop, which includes labour, is about four pence per land yard.'
In 1996, the centenary year of the Parish Council, once more allotments were requested by some parishioners. The place chosen was a large triangle of land between the footpath of Pathfields and Watery Lane at the top of Bonfire Hill. After a few years of struggle against thistles and other field weeds with hard work, and large amounts of manure and compost, the land has been made very fertile and the allotments are thriving.
The Covid 19 crisis of 2020 and ensuing lockdowns has meant that allotment holders have had the time to devote to their plots and the whole area is flourishing with all types of vegetables and soft fruits.