Dig up past of historic allotments

Pam Wilkinson, left, secretary of the Hucknall Cottage Garden Assoication, their chairman, Steve Ball and allotment holder Max Gaskell who are heading a campaign to get allotments which straddle the by-pass listed.

Memmbers of the Hucknall Cottage Garden Holders Association believe the allotments on either side of the A611 bypass are older than the Hungerhills allotments in Nottingham, and want to get them listed.

The association plans to set up the site as a community resource and believes getting it listed will put their project on the map.

Secretary Pam Wilkinson said: “We would like to record and present the history of this site and are asking for any stories, photos artefacts from the families of Hucknall.

“The gardens date back to the time of the Land Enclosures in the 1840’s when the land was given to poor cottage holders of Hucknall by the Duke of Portland.

“Generations of Hucknall families have since rented the allotments to provide much needed food for themselves and their families. Although the allotment are now taken up for leisure purposes it would be a shame to lose the history of those people who had the gardens to help them to survive poverty.”

Pam, 62, of Derbyshire Lane, had many uncles who worked in Hucknall’s pits and kept allotments.

Contact Pam on 07704580994 or [email protected]