What is an allotment?

[flaja]

Can someone explain to this American what an allottment is? I know that Britain has a long tradition of common land, but I didn't know any common land was left.

[Muddypause]

I know that Britain has a long tradition of common land, but I didn't know any common land was left.

Well, we managed to reclaim Greenham Common back from the USAF.

An allotment, specifically, is an area provided by a town council, divided up into individual plots let out at minimal rent where people can grow produce. They are mainly an urban thing, because in towns people don't often have much garden. I suspect their history goes back to the Enclosures Acts of a few hundred years ago, when all land became owned by someone, and poor people had to be allowed somewhere to sustain themselves.

They are a little different to common land, which generally implies an area where local inhabitants have grazing rights. These rights are often not excercised these days, because your average housholder no longer keeps livestock, so the areas have become simple recreation amenities, very often in the form of a village green. But a common can also mean a much larger area of public open space, often of heathland and woods - eg Greenham Common, Wimbledon Common. These generally seem to be in the counties around London. I don't know if they originally had common grazing rights too.

[Thomzo]

Well, we managed to reclaim Greenham Common back from the USAF.

It was just a shame that they built a retail park in the area instead. Excellent ballroom there though.

Zoe