The first session of the revised WEA short course (five weeks) entitled ‘A Place of Resort’ took place Monday evening. Eight students this time, so the course may not be allowed to continue, with illustrated introductory info. about public parks, recreation grounds, allotment sites and civil cemeteries. Very lively class discussions and a very enjoyable class. […]

For now, my final comment re allotments is to highlight an excellent site at Swinton, just south of Mexborough, South Yorkshire. Three years ago I had occasion to go to Mexborough each week on Saturdays and when the visit was over I would take the dog on a circular walk which took-in a linear park

Two Acts of Parliament in 1845 and 1882 encouraged local authorities to provide ‘field gardens’ for the ‘labouring poor’. The 1887 Allotment and Cottage Garden Compensation for Crops Act required county councils (then Lindsey in the case of Barton) to provide allotments where there was a demand. Following a further act of 1908 allotment land

Allotment sites I am familiar with are; Dam Rd., Barton, Clough Rd., Hull, Hotham Rd., Hull, southern side of Beverley south of Keldgate (a site under imminent threat of being sold for building some years ago but saved by local action), Ferriby Rd., Hessle, at northern approach to Paull village and doubtless others I cannot

The aerial view plan above is a copy of an ancient manuscript showing the town and port of Hull in the 14th century. The original is classified as ‘Copy of an Ancient Plan of Hull, reduced from a drawing in the British Museum, Cotton MSS, Augustus 1, Vol. 1, fol. 80’. One (of many) interesting features

A particularly interesting allotment site locally is the one in Hessle, sited at the bottom of a disused chalk quarry beside Ferriby Road it is interesting to look down and see the, mostly, well-used and valued allotments. This relatively small quarry was the ‘parish quarry’ from which chalk clunch might be taken by the parish