A History of Community Gardens & Allotments in the UK
The UK’s Community Gardening History Has Evolved Over Centuries, Shaped By Social Reform, Wartime Necessity & Modern Urban Revival. Here’s A Detailed Timeline Of How Community Gardens Developed In Britain.
Table of Contents
We all know what allotments are but there is a growing trend towards community gardens and in this article I want to explore the background to Community Garden History. Wikipedia has an interesting take on community gardens which is largely US centric, but it is a movement that is global. Indeed some countries take the idea in to the sky with roof top community gardens. Japan is such an example. However we must be careful about how we define a community garden as some definitions mean a garden that is available to a member of the community rather than one that is available to, and run by, members of the community as a community asset and open to all. The difference is subtle, but I would argue very important.
🌱 Early Roots (Pre-19th Century)
Medieval “Common Land” – Rural communities farmed shared fields before the Enclosure Acts (1700s–1800s) privatised land, displacing the poor.
Allotments Emerge – Charities and churches began leasing small plots to labourers for self-sufficiency (e.g., Strawberry Hill Gardens, 1795).
Octavia Hill’s “Open Spaces” (1880s) – Co-founder of the National Trust created gardens for London’s poor.
Allotments Act (1887) – Required councils to provide land, but focused on individual plots, not collective gardening.
⚔️ World Wars (1914–1945): “Dig for Victory”
WWI & WWII – The government promoted communal food growing to combat shortages:
Public parks, lawns, and bomb sites were turned into vegetable patches.
Women’s Land Army maintained farms and gardens.
Postwar Decline – Allotments returned to private use; communal gardening faded.
🌿 1970s–1980s: Alternative Movements
Squatters & Eco-Activists – Inspired by US guerrilla gardening, groups like London’s People’s Park (1972) reclaimed derelict land.
Urban Decay – Industrial decline left vacant lots ripe for ad-hoc gardening (e.g., Liverpool’s Eldonian Village).
🌟 1990s–2000s: Modern Revival
Local Agenda 21 (1992) – Post-Rio Earth Summit, councils promoted sustainability, including urban gardens.
Capital Growth (2008) – London mayor-backed scheme created 2,500+ food-growing spaces.
Incredible Edible (2008–present) – Todmorden’s “propaganda gardening” model spread nationwide, planting free food in public spaces.
Private Allotments such as at Cadhay. these are private in nature but open for the public to visit when the house and gardens are open.
🌎 2010s–Present: Mainstream & Policy Support
Food Poverty Crisis – Post-2008 austerity and food banks spurred interest in community growing.
RHS & National Lottery Funding – Grants for school gardens (e.g., RHS Campaign for School Gardening).
Climate & Biodiversity Focus – Projects now integrate wildlife corridors, rainwater harvesting, and permaculture.
Key UK Community Gardens in History
The following is just a snapshot of the obvious ones. There are undoubtedly many more. Please comment below if you want to see others added.
Garden
Year
Significance
Strawberry Hill Gardens (London)
1795
Early philanthropic allotments
Bath Royal United Hospital Garden
1840s
One of the first therapeutic gardens
People’s Park (London)
1972
Squatter-led urban green space
Incredible Edible (Todmorden)
2008
Pioneered public “help yourself” planting
Glasgow’s North Kelvin Meadow
2010s
Community-saved wasteland turned garden
What Shaped the UK’s Unique Model?
Allotment Tradition – Unlike the US, the UK had a pre-existing culture of individual plots, slowing communal gardening’s uptake.
Wartime Collectivism – “Dig for Victory” proved Britons could garden together, but the postwar return to privatisation stalled community garden progress.
US Influence – 1970s activism and urban farming models from Detroit/NYC inspired later UK projects.
21st-Century Challenges – Food poverty, climate change, and mental health needs drove recent growth.
Covid also led to a “rediscovery” of gardening for many.
The Future: Community Gardens as Essential Infrastructure
Recent trends suggest that community gardening could grow in the UK, the following ar indicative of a trend that is slowly taking place.
“Right to Grow” laws (e.g., Sheffield’s 2022 policy) letting residents demand land from councils.
NHS “Social Prescribing” – GPs referring patients to gardening for wellbeing.
Sidmouth Community Food Forest– Though a food forest the community aspect of this garden is very strong and is part of the ethos that drives it forward.
