The best of brill : Brill Allotments
Brill Allotments
Our allotments are tucked away in the bend behind Church Street and The Square. Take a look over the gate across from the Memorial Hall (but note that you have to be a member to enter). There are over 60 plots. Some have been worked by the same people for many decades and are now resplendent with with greenhouses, fruit cages and intricately worked paths and terracing (the site is steeply sloping), whilst others are works-in-progress with newbies battling couch grass and rock-hard earth. The whole is a pleasing patchwork of industry and creativity and a haven of tranquility and purpose.
A Little history…
Allotments as we know them came into being during the 19th century, when land was given over to the labouring poor to enable them to grow food in the face of rapid industrialisation. The Small Holdings and Allotments Act of 1908 placed a duty on councils to provide allotments to meet proven need; an obligation that continues to this day if six or more people say they want them - and are prepared to wait, there being no time constraint on fulfilment. In the wake of the Great War, allotments were made available to all, primarily as a way of assisting returning servicemen. The rights of allotment holders were strengthened by Acts of 1922 and ‘25, and the Allotments Act of 1950 restated the requirement of local authorities to provide plots.
In recent years concerns over the shortage of allotments and the long waiting lists have provoked country-wide consternation and parliamentary debates. The Localism Act of 2011 appears to contain a number of provisions that may help. There is a community right to challenge, meaning that voluntary and community bodies can challenge authorities on the use of vacant pieces of land. There is also a community right to buy which could similarly be applied.
Meanwhile, Brill Parish Council is just incredibly grateful that we have the Alice Charter Charity to take care of all things allotment-related…
The Alice Carter Charity
We don't know how long Brill's allotments have existed but we do know that the charity with which they are linked, the Alice Carter Charity (also known as Carter’s Charity) has been around since 1657. One of the earliest actions of the charity was the building of two alms houses on The Green, next to where the pink chapel is now with access on to the allotment field. These were let to needy tenants from 1591 onwards. According to the plaque on the outer wall of the houses, they were rebuilt in 1842 - but later fell into disrepair and were sold, with the proceeds going to the charity. It is likely Carter’s Charity owned the allotment field right from the onset, although we have no evidence of this.
In accordance with the Charity’s aim to alleviate poverty in the parish, allotment rents (£24 a plot in 2022) are used to make seasonal payments to "deserving widows and spinsters" of the parishes of Brill, Oakley, Honeyburge, and Boarstall. The recipients are chosen by the four charity Trustees, one of which is the Rector of the Bernwode Benefice.
Image from The National Allotment Society website
Interested?
There is something very special about allotments - which probably explains the waiting lists across the country. Allotment gardening has a proven impact on health and wellbeing (read this scholarly article from the Journal of Public Health) and, aside from being a source of seasonal produce, can enhance mood, strengthen communities and engender a sense of achievement.
This said, keeping an allotment is not all about picking strawberries whilst wearing a fetching straw hat; they can be very hard work (the writer speaks with authority, here). Brill allotment standards are high; allotment holders who leave their plots to languish for too long will be politely reminded of their responsibilities! Above all, allotments have to be productive in fruit and veg or flowers; that, after all, is their function. Large areas of lawn or decking are definitely not in the spirit of allotments keeping.
Read lots more on the website of The National Allotment Society and then maybe email the Brill secretary to find out about availability. Happy allotmenteering!