Closure

Having complete all the physical tasks associated with the creation of the new allotment there was only one thing thing left to do, complete the paper work. The paper work was duly completed by the secretary and returned to the Lottery funding office. Confirmation was very quickly received that we had met all our obligations and the file was now closed.

Many people deserve praise and recognition for the effort and dedication but as is the way with generous people, they wish to remain anonomous.

To close this chapter before and after pictures. In the first picture below, the children are standing about where the second picture was taken eighteen months later.

The new polt were taken up on 25th July 2011 and the bottom picture was taken on the afternoon of the 24th September 2011. Well done Peter!

New paths

The materials for the funded path edges and matting was procured but then we hit the holiday season. A number of the plot holders managed to install their section of edging. This gave them a good excuse to dig deep into the plots to reveal the depth of top soil and the manure bed. One path needed special attention so a few of the members organised a work party and between the four of them dug out the where the path base would go and installed the path edging.  Another member laid out the weed matting along the paths and stapled it to the edging in readiness for the path fill.

Each of the plot holders was made responsible for carting and laying there section of path. We have a great deal of stone to use for path. It is just a question of moving it. To their credit by the middle of September all the paths were complete.

Paths

We were lucky enough to bring the project under time and under budget. It seemed a shame to give back the under spend. A phone call , an impassioned email and a nervous wait whilst the Lottery folk decided upon our submission. In a very short time the decision came back that we could spend the unused funds. We have decided to make the paths between the plots. The new plots holders have already made a start on the paths. The timber is to be delivered this week. Many hands make light work.

Avenue of blossom

The Society's Secretary has been busy of late. The would be allotment holders, on the waiting list, have been contacted and are due to visit the allotments on Saturday 25th June 2011 at 1pm to learn of their obligations and cost to being a AWAS plot holders. Since the plots are so new the range of vegetables that can be grow will be limited to those that grow above ground for at least for the first season.


It has been decided that a condition of taking a plot will that the plot holders will be required to purchase and plant a fruit tree at the front of their plot. The vision is that in ten years time their will be fine avenue of blossom in the spring and fruit in the autumn. The existing plot holders did a similar thing when the long orchard was invented. Apple, Pear, Cherry are to be the choices. Trees rather than bushes are needed.

AWAS ethos

We at Ashby Would Allotment Society have always tried to:

•       Use materials from sustainable sources
•       Use recycled material
•       Source materials locally
•       Use local commercial services

The idea is to lessen the impact of our actions, minimise the carbon footprint of the development and benefit the local community. The "new" products used were the plastic undeground perforated field drain pipe and the water trough. The trough should have a very long life. The plastic underground perforated field drain pipe is made from recycled plastic. The maximum distance material travelled was 18 miles. That was the perforated field drain pipe.

Recycled materials used were:

• Top soil
• Manure
• Perforated field drain
• Stone for French drains
• Stand for the trough
• Car park and paths

No materials were removed from site. AWAS will be continuing to plant up the bund with native trees species.

Hammered home

The last act was to mark out the plots. We had sharpened several three foot [1m] posts and laid them along the path at roughly 15 foot [5m] intervals. We decided where the paths between the plots where to be. The first post was placed. With the corner post hammered home as a datum we measured off the plots and paths, tapping a post into position. Next we went to the back of the new plots by the foot of the bund and measured off  the plots. A peg was positioned to compliment the plot makers by the path and after checking, was hammered in. We checked the alignment of the posts, at the front of the pots, and after slight adjustments the posts where hammered home, checking them against the staff so that they ended up at the same height above the path. Under a threatening cloud we finished the last post as the sun was heading for our local horizon.

Blading the soil

The top soil was delivered in batches. Each batch was bladed out with tractor's bucket. The blading compressed the soil into the manure to create a firm growing medium. All the top soil having been delivered and bladed out the plot was taking on a completed look. The farmer brought back JCB Mark to do a final dressing of the plot. The tractor bucket is not designed for fine work whereas the JCB is.

As a final act the farmer took the trouble to fill in the pot holes on the allotment drive way although it was ten winters and not the heavy machinery that cut up the drive.

The Trough

The water trough was always going to be sited next to the path but the generosity of the National Forest and the eagerness of JCB Mark gave us a path nine feet wide almost a foot deep [2.7m by 300mm]. That required the trough to be raised to be level with the path. One Sunday morning with several lengths of scaffolding planks, eight 600mm pegs and a box of screws and a flurry of activity in the cold wind a stilage was created. The space enclosed by the planks was back filled with more of the hardcore. It was tamped down and paving stones laid over the top. The trough was positioned and set upon three timber pads. The pads are to protect the bottom of the trough from the paving stones. The service box was fitted to the trough and the mains water plumbed on to service box.

Installing the trough feels like the end is in sight.

Trailering manure

We were now into the flow of the project. The economic down turn, leading to the lack of available top soil, forced a rethink as did working the earth for the drains. The substrate is fertile evidenced by the profusion of Daisy's in the fallow year of 2009. BTCV, previously know as 'British Trust for Conservation Volunteers', one of the bodies we used to consult with during our planning stage, were blown away on their site visit with the speed of regeneration of the soil. An alternative plan was devised. A thick layer of manure would be applied to the site and capped with a layer of top soil. Volumes were calcualted, costs rejigged and contractors engaged. Matt and Zoe trailered tons of manure to cover the whole plot and levelled it out. It was about this time the weather broke. The long hots days were replaced by heavy rain. Luckily the rain was not persistent but it did make what would be the growing areas too sticky for running vehicles over them.

We found a benefactor in a local top soil and turf merchant. He gave us the top soil at a little over cost to him and more than we agreed to take at no extra cost. Again he wanted to support a local initiative.

500 tonnes

We have been lucky in our friends. The National Forest had a great deal of hardcore left over from the landscaping of the bagging plant. We were given free access to the 500 tonne bund of hardcore. JCB Mark and the farmer's trailer drivers Matt and Zoe made a dint in pile. The hardcore was trailered up to the allotment from the other end of the park and tipped to make the car park. The car park was put in first to give good access for the heavy trucks that would be making deliveries. The heavy trucks acted as free road rollers compressing the surface. Once the drains were in more hardcore was tipped to create the access path down the centre of the plot and to top dress the soft spots on the car park.

Fencing in the mud

In the winter of 2008/9 we had the coldest but perhaps most rewarding work party ever. The bund had been built and the contractors had left site. Rabbitsare an issue in the park. We found the funds to install 150 metres of rabbit fencing on the outside face of the bund. On a dismal, freezing Sunday a dozen hardly souls assembled. The line of the fence was marked. A group of chaps went down the line pounding in posts at regular intervals along the line. Another party had the unenviable job of digging a trench in the heavy wet and cold mud. The trench would hold the foot of the rabbit fence. The trench soon turned into an open ditch with water running down the hill. The heavy machines had torn off the thin turf cover during the reclamation and in no time the hillside was a sticky with mud which gave no purchase for our boots.

As we turned the corner at the top of the slope we found out the cost of saving the trees. The trees had been dropped right where the rabbit fence needed to go. We manged to maintain a straight fence line with some heavy digging and persistence. The support wires were strung, tensioned and nailed into position. With hands so cold that the odd clout of the hammer on cold fingers was not felt...until later. The trench party were relieved of that duty only to be directed to cable tying the chicken wire to the support wires. The trench, now containing the foot of the netting, was back filled. This perhaps, was more taxing than digging it out. The two parties worked their way along the fence line to the top of the slope, round corner and onto the angle which lead down the last pitch to the corner of the existing allotment fencing.

I have to say we did a great job on the fence. A proper allotment community job. Some people could not stay all day. So we had a core of folks who did the whole supported by and early shift and a late shift. And YES the rabbit fence works!    

Mains water

Whilst the digger was trenching for the drains a trench was taken out for the mains water pipe. It was a tense time whist we located the end of the main water pipe left underground by Thorne the previous year. Our recording of the position of the underground pipe was spot on. One of the members is a Plumber by trade and he was charged with connecting up the water pipe and supervising the back fill of the trench. The free end of the pipe, which would eventually connect to the water trough, was blanked off a tied to a big post for the machine drivers to work round. The water trough would be installed at a later date

Drainage pattern

The first item we bought was the water trough and service box. The service box contains the ball cock and is designed to prevent cows damaging the valve. We also bought the water pipe and the necessary fittings. It felt like we were underway. The schedule of works was agreed with the JCB driver Mark and the farmer. The underground drain pipe was ordered as was the stone for the back fill of the french drains. To encourage us the weather continued hot and dry. The drains were marked out and the JCB began digging.

It took a whole week to dig out the trenches and create an extension the bund to contain spoil from the trenches. One of members was on hand to hand dig the last metre of the three trenches where they passed under the boundary of the old allotments into the existing drainage ditch. The drainage pipes were installed as the wagons pulled in with the reclaimed stone for the back fill.

Mark the digger driver did an excellent job of laying out the drainage pattern and executing the french drains. During breaks in the work we found out that Mark had dug the drains round the existing plots more than a decade before.  

A victim

Whilst the bid was in the approval stage we discovered that our JCB driver and ground works chap had gone out of business. We also found that the source of top soil dried up with the cancelling of building developments. So we became a victim of the down turn. A new set of contractors had to be found along with sources of top soil. We were lucky in that a local farmer bought into our development. He has a social conscience and wanted to help local people with a local project. Since the allotment were no more half a mile from his door, we fitted the bill. Unfortunately finding a JCB driver was more difficult. The timing of the receipt of the grant, which started the clock ticking, came at a bad time for the farmer and therefore the Society. June to October is the farmers busiest time of the year and being a small concern the farmer could not assist us straight away. We had to wait until he was available. In the meantime the JCB driver search continued.

Winter 2010 came early and stayed round for a long time. Snow lay on the ground for many weeks and when not frozen the site unworkable because the wet and sticky Leicestershire clay. Whilst we waited for spring to come round we were not idle. Our persistence paid off and we found a JCB driver and we were able to plan the physical elements of the development with him and the farmer.

A list

Having secured the land for new allotments the next challenge was to develop the site into an operational allotment. We sat down and worked out what we were short of. The list ran:

• Top soil
• Drainage
• Paths
• Car park
• Water
• Money

We did another list of what we had. It was much shorter...enthusiasm and a vision. During one of the scheduled allotment meetings we discussed money. A number of the members created a sub-committee to look into the question of funding. A number of options were explored. Naturally the National Lottery was examined and we found we could qualify. The funding committee sent for the grant forms. The bid was being to take shape. We worked out which grant we would bid for and built our design on the basis. 7th July 2010 we received a cheque to make the vision work.

Family Beds

Whilst the heavy work of the new allotments developed we saw a need to have smaller plots for families. The families would be able to manage the plots and see if allotmenting suited them. A portion of the new area had been put aside for the family beds. With string, a tape measure, two foot pegs and sledge hammer five family beds were created from the mud. We managed to secure several loads of stone chippings for the paths. The wood planks were screwed to the pegs and weed suppressing matting laid between the beds. the chippings were laid over the matting. A number of families took up the beds and improved the soil by digging in manure from stock held by the existing allotmenteers. The development was self funded and whilst it has not paid for itself yet at has given many people a lot of pleasure. Some folks have stayed and are about to take up new plots and other have left having enjoyed their dabble in allotmenting.

 Here is a picture in the middle of the development -

Fast forward to 2008

This blog is really about the extension of AWAS. In summer of 2008 we discovered that the massive concrete pad, on our western boundary, that has served Rawdon pit as a bagging plant was to be broken up and the area landscaped into a wetland area. That in it's self would be a good thing but it present the society with an opportunity. AWAS has always been over subscribed. Allotmenteers in waiting have been on the list for as long as two years in some cases. The secretary met with the head of the National Forest Foundation, who are the landlords, to discuss the possibility of AWAS enclosing and area of the country park adjacent to the allotments. To our immediate relief the National Forest Foundation thought this was a very good idea. The area was roughly marked out and plans laid for the development.

In the winter of 2008 the contractors moved in to redevelop the bagging plant. We allowed the contractors, Thorne Environmental, to hook up to our water supply. In a discussion with National Forest and Thorne a deal was struck for Thorne to give the society a digger and driver for a couple of days. The digger cleared the site, scraping back the very uneven surface to a level-ish surface and removing the large lumps of concrete. The excess scraping were piled into a bund along the boundary of the plot.The bigger trees where scooped out by the digger and dropped along the outer edge of the bund. This decision on the trees which has paid off initially caused us difficulties. More of which later.

Before the digger got busy -

And afterwards -

The challenge begins

With Don Fraser as Chairman and Dave McDowell as Secretary/Treasurer the development of AWAS [Ashby Woulds Allotment Society] began. AWAS had some funds in the pot from Don's efforts in fund raising. Dave Mc spent it on getting a water supply onto the site. We have a single, centrally located, water trough from which to fill watering cans. Previously we had to bring any water the plants needed from home or trust to the weather to supply what was needed.

We joined NSALG and still are members of NSALG [Click here for there website] to benefit from their insurance provision and expertise in allotmenting. Work parties were devised in improve the rabbit fencing, especially on the gate, the hedge was surveyed and additional trees planted. Tree planting is a task that continues year on year. The communial area was set out with a series of patios and planted up with flowers.

The pcture below is the Secretay's plot of the day he and his good lady took it on.

 The picture does not do the Docks justice. They were five foot high!

To begin at an ending

In 1990 Rawdon East colliery was closed. That brought to an end 169 years of mining at Rawdon. With the regeneration of the coalfields, in late the late 1990's, Rawdon East got a face lift in the shape of landscaping the area into Rawdon East country park. Ashby Woulds town councillors lobbied for an area of the site to be reserved for allotments. And so it was that an area a little greater than nine standard 10 rod plots was reserved. A roadway and car park was laid and a rabbit fencing installed to enclose the site. A ditch was dug inside the perimeter fencing and two french drain were laid across the plot. A water pipe was run from the Rawdon road boundary of the country park to a stop tap on the site but neither end was connected to the main supply. The final act was to import top soil. The top soil came from a road development were the top soil had been skimmed off to make way for a roundabout. The soil is a beautiful Trent alluvial loam. A little free draining for some but very fertile.

A number of councillors and local residents took up the plots. Moira was still reeling from the mine closures and the new developments were wet, muddy reminders of what had gone before. In 2003, in response to an advertisement in the parish a new body of local residents came together to start Ashby Woulds Allotment Society proper. The inaugural meeting was held in the back room of The Woodsman public house. The usual posts were elected, Chairman and combined posts of Secretary and Treasurer as was a committee. Essentially if you had a plot you were on the committee. A constitution was created and we all signed up.

We even designed a logo...

The picture below is the plots, as we discovered them, on a grey autumn afternoon in North West Leicestershire.

AWAS Autumn 2003