Oxford Allotments

After our visit to the BMW Mini Plant in Oxford on July 8, 2015, we were given free reign for a few hours to wander around the town. My friend and I decided to explore the open markets for a quick and tasty lunch then we started to walk further out to the edge of the town. We stumbled upon an allotment plot. We have never seen such a place; the allotments were community gardens in which individuals owned small 250 square meters of land to grow crops, flowers, and herbs. Like many of the UK’s hidden gems, the community gardens had no fee for entry. Walking along the muddy, mossy path, we saw an allotment plot owner tilling the soil near one of his vegetable rows. I got his attention and asked him what he was growing and how long he had a place in the community gardens. He gave us a history lesson that I will never forget.

He was a professor who just happened to teach American politics back in the day, and he chuckled when we said were students from the States. He began unfolding the history of Oxford’s allotments. The allotments were owned by the local Oxford government and each plot would cost between 8-40 pounds depending on their status, some would get discounts if they were retired or unemployed. The concept of giving land to the poor to grow food and raise animals began in the 1500s, but as the industrial revolution occurred, less and less green space was available to be enclosed. The poor would face strains on supporting themselves as they lacked adequate land to grow their food on. The General Enclosure Act of 1845 brought salvation to these people forcing local authorities to allot parcels of land to the poor.

Since then, the allotments have been growing in number as people try to grow locally and sustainably. The gardener talking to us owned his plot for over thirty years, but most of his crops were just grown for pleasure and not as means of income. I loved hearing about the history of Oxford’s allotments from him. We did have a small mishap during our visit to the gardens though. The gates that we entered through were locked when we tried to exit. My friend and I fortunately saw one of the gardeners passing by and asked him to unlock the gate for us. We were planning to jump the gate otherwise! The allotment plots are a representation of Oxford’s past that seems to be forgotten by many, and I plan on trying to find more of these hidden gardens around London. ~Anjali