History
Our site was set up in 1917 to help provide food during the First World War. The land had been used to train soldiers and a layer of coal from that time can still be seen beneath the current ground level in various places. The land remains part of the Town Moor which the Freemen hold as primary tenants from the City. We lease the site from the Freemen and have always managed it independently from the Council.
Over the years, there have been many changes. In the 1920s the Hut was put up; gas lighting and heating were installed so it could be used for social events. Up until the 1950s we had our own annual show. During the Second World War the site was enlarged to take in land on the west up to the main road. This was returned to the City afterwards. Our lawn was created at the same time to enable bowls to be played. In the 1980s we gained permission to put up greenhouses. Around the same time a garage was installed for storage and still serves as an equipment store. In 2000 we put in new water pipes. In the last twenty years, all the perimeter fencing has been replaced; the wheelbarrow store and manure storage sites have been put in; the Hut has been refaced and reroofed; the centenary beds for use by older or disabled gardeners have been built; and a purpose built ecotoilet has been installed.
The kinds of people on our site have also changed. Our members used mainly to be working men living in neighbouring streets. Now we have a larger and much more diverse membership, often living at a distance from the site.
A film made of Denis Mills now, whose parents were founder members of our site in 1917, can be seen at https://youtu.be/2ewWYxcjz9A