AFTER a century of digging, planting, sowing, raking, watering, pruning, and pottering, the ladies and gents of Abergavenny Allotment Association will be picking up their shovels, dusting off their wellies and moving to pastures new.

It’s goodbye Llanfoist and hello……? Well that’s the thing. No-one knows where the green fingered brigade’s new home will be just yet. Monmouthshire County Council have yet to decide upon a new site for the sowers, growers, seeders and feeders. One thing’s for sure, their home of 100 years plus on a little patch of land which borders Llanfoist Cemetery will be reclaimed sometime in the next seven years.

It’s a grave decision, quite literally. MCC are running got of space for burial sites and need to look to the future. The authority explained, “Based on current usage the existing cemetery will be full in about seven years.”

The logical next step is to recline the land used by the allotment, but this is not set in stone. An MCC spokesperson told the Chronicle, “Until we conclude our review of available land holdings we’re unable to provide any information on re-locating the Abergavenny Allotment Association to a suitable site. When the review is complete we will inform the association. Meanwhile, we need to establish that the area currently used by the allotment association is suitable for cemetery use so we have initiated discussions with Natural Resources Wales.”

Either way, the allotment association are bracing themselves for the big push and a fond farewell to a place adored by many.

As Chairman Malcolm Davies said, “We’ve been here a lot longer than most people realize and as far as most of our members are concerned we’ll never get another spot quite like this.”

Rewind 100 years and they may never have got a spot like that at all if the general confusion as to who actually owned the site hadn’t been cleared up.

The allotment site is part of the parcel of land that was bought by the Abergavenny Burial Board in 1891. In 1894 the eastern end was opened as the New Cemetery and landscaped in the style of a Victorian garden cemetery. The cemetery was placed on the Register of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales in 1984

In a Chronicle report from April, 1917 entitled ‘The Allotments Fiasco’ it appears that Abergavenny Town Council initially refused failed to purchase the land at Llanfoist despite having power to do so under the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), because it was too expensive.

Quicker than you can say ‘dumb bureaucrats’ the council then discovered they actually owned the land, which was once the former site of an isolation hospital and made one of those dramatic and brass necked u-turns which so often defines local authorities.

Once the twin’s first citizen and his well heeled chums realised that the field adjoining what was then referred to as ‘the new cemetery’ was the property of the town, the idea of a communal allotment was taken up with great zeal.

The report states, “Much valuable time has been lost, but it is better late than never, so long as it is not too late, and we are glad to say that there are members of the Council who are determined to push the matter through without any further waste of time. It is now up to local people, and especially the railwaymen who voiced the demand for allotments so recently as Sunday, to show by their applications that such a demand exists. So much for the future aspect of the question. As to the past, the futile efforts of the Town Council are nothing to brag about.”

The allotments were a success and by February 1918, 100 plots had been ploughed up and taken, with 32 more on this way.

There were several other, albeit smaller allotment sites in Abergavenny during this time but they were subsequently redeveloped for housing.

Abergavenny Allotment Association’s Secretary Paddy Beynon told the Chronicle, “The history of the allotment movement is complex and interesting. Land was allotted to peasants after they lost access to common land and to their cultivated strips because of land enclosures. Land enclosure started in the 12C but increased dramatically between 1750 and 1850, which together with an explosion in population resulted in a small prosperous landed gentry and a large disenfranchised peasantry causing huge rural poverty.

“The allotment movement gained momentum from 1760 partly because of concern for the rural poor by some altruistic individuals, and partly because of concern about the rising poor law costs and social unrest, which was particularly evident with the flow of people off the land and into the new industrial towns. Riots in the 1830s over the introduction of threshing machines gave further impetus.

“Garden started to appear in towns and cities, with flowers as well as fruit and vegetables grown. By the end of the 18C the amount of land set aside for them grew rapidly. This land was then largely developed for housing by the Victorians; however, by the end of the 19C there was a big demand for urban allotments, although they were less popular in rural areas.

“Despite increasing food shortages in the First World War because of the German blockade, it was not until Lloyd George swept into power at the end of 1916 that the Cultivation of Lands Orders were issued through the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) giving powers for land to be acquired for smallholdings, market gardens and allotments, which is how the Llanfoist Allotments came into being a century ago.

“The number of allotments in 1918 was 1.5 million (from 243,000 in 1873). Numbers then fell during the 20s and 30s despite economic depression because of the need for building land. In Abergavenny there were several small allotment sites within the town that were redeveloped for housing. There was considerable opposition to the loss of allotments in Chapel Road.

“The Government reacted much more quickly to the outbreak of the Second World War, launching the Dig for Victory campaign in October 1939. By 1944 it was considered that the sources of new land for allotments had been virtually exhausted – there were now an estimated 1.75 million plots

“However, after WW2 and the end of rationing there was a rapid decline in interest in allotments and plot numbers fell. Living standards were rising, processed foods became more available and people had more exciting things to do. This is mirrored in Abergavenny when there seems to have been no protest at the loss of half the allotment space to accommodate an extension of the cemetery.”

Paddy added, “There was a brief respite in the 70s due to the ‘Good Life’ effect, but the decline continued into the new millennium. Since then there has been another surge in interest fired by the ‘Green Revolution’ with concerns over environmental issues, the genetic modification of foodstuffs, chemical pollution and contamination of our food.

“Interestingly, although the emphasis of the allotment movement initially had been on the provision of land for the rural poor, craftsmen and tradesmen accounted for over a third of plot holders, and in the urban sites the social mix was greater.

“It has been suggested that ultimately, it is the recreational plot holders that have sustained demand for allotments. The motivation of the hard-core plot holders is consistent and derives from a view of allotmenteering as a hobby with benefits. Abergavenny Allotments Association has adapted to cope with this demand and has reduced plot sizes to allow an almost doubling of the number of plot holders, but there is still a significant waiting list.

“The benefits to one’s feeling of well-being are recognised by us all. The Allotments Association is pleased to share this with the Mental Health charity “Growing Spaces” who have been allocated a plot for use by their clients and they have transformed a previously difficult plot into a show piece.”

Growing Spaces Jim Quinn has nothing but praise for the Abergavenny allotments and added, “They have proved very therapeutic for our clients and it has helped them in a host of ways. It gives their day structure and is fantastic in terms of socializing, keeping them occupied, boosting their self-confidence and getting them to appreciate the benefits of work.”

Turning her thoughts to the future, Paddy said, “A series of legislative acts from the 1880s to 1929 ensured the protection of allotment sites. At our meeting with MCC about our future we were relieved that they were fully aware of their legal obligations and grateful of their assurance to comply.

“This means we shall have another site to move to, and all essential services such as a water supply, protective fencing and preparation of the ground for cultivation will be carried out. They would prefer to use some land that is currently owned by them, but if that is not suitable they will purchase a new site for us. The burning question is where. At this present moment MCC do not know.

“So we start our second century under a cloud of uncertainty but with optimism that MCC will be successful in their search for an alternative site and Abergavenny will continue to have a facility that gives its occupants such a healthy and rewarding pastime.”

Emma Gilchrist is one such occupant and explained, “I’ve been here three years. I started mainly because of my six-year-old son Adam Gilchrist. It’s a lovely place for young children. It gets them outdoors and away from screens.

Emma added, “Because it’s also such an intergenerational environment you can benefit greatly from the wisdom of your neighbors when it comes to growing things. I must admit my friends though I was unhinged when I first started and asked if I was growing cannabis.”

Emma’s son Adam explained, “My dad or sisters don’t really like it here. Dad came here once and got bit by a horsefly. But I like digging holes, filling them with water and growing pumpkins.”

And you can’t say fairer than that.

As the allotments Chairman Malcolm Davies pointed out, “I used to work in the steel industry and work was pretty much my life. I retired three years ago and was lucky enough to get a plot here. Working on the allotment has done wonders fro my stress levels and the physical activity it entails has done wonders for my bad back. Being a part of this place has definitely given me a new understanding of both the great outdoors and the importance of community.”