Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Allotments

I have noticed on google maps a surprising number of allotments.
Can someone do a short history of when they started - 1st or 2nd World War or even earlier.
Were there any in Birkenhead Park and is there a standard size per person?
Does the Council have a statutory duty to provide sufficient allotments and what is sufficient?

The whole of the upper park was used as allotments during WW2, I think.

Extract from Wikipedia.

"A 1732 engraving of Birmingham, England shows the town encircled by allotments, some of which still exist to this day. Whilst St Ann's Allotments in Nottingham, created in the 1830s, is regarded as one of the oldest allotments sites in England, as well as the largest site of Victorian gardens in the world, the accolade is actually reserved by Great Somerford Free Gardens in the Wiltshire village of Great Somerford. These were created in 1809 following a letter from Rev Stephen Demainbray to King George III in which he asked the king to spare, in perpetuity, 6 acres from the Inclosure Acts for the benefit of the poor of the parish".

Watch that back of yours Derek.

http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Allotment-History.php

Which allotments would have been the first around Birkenhead and Wallasey and do they have names

Wanted to go for an allotment but the waiting list is so long I'll be long gone, or too knackered to work it, before I'd get one. Pity, I loved growing my own stuff in my garden and it was good for my health as well. Bugger!