History and about Bebington Road Allotments.

Dear Diary.

Bebington Road allotments are in Rock Ferry, Wirral (CH42 4QE). 
The site has 260 potential plots it's the largest site in North West, England. The site is surrounded by the houses on Bebington Road, Alexandra Drive, Princes Boulevard, Cavendish Drive and a little bit of Borough Road.

The main access is hidden between 184 and 186 Bebington Road, (this is the entrance that I take) a second is equally well hidden between 65 and 67 Alexandra Drive and a third on Borough Road between 847 Borough Road and 1 Kings Way, less hidden but used only for pedestrian access.

The site has a heavy soil; on virgin plots it's 25 cm of claggy fertile soil over brick making quality clay, on worked plots it varies, with the best being excellent.

The Council purchased the site in 1929, so some plots could have had over 80 years of more or less continuous cultivation, others have laid dormant for many many years! Some still do, but for someone up for a challenge they're available. The site has an Allotment Society with an active, if somewhat introspective, committee whose activities include, amongst others: organising social events, tool hire and running the shop.

The plan above shows a total of 260 available plots, with a further 11 plots worth of community space. The plan is slightly out of date but is 99% accurate. I have highlighted my plot, number 342.

Of the 260 plots 20 or so are in such a bad state that no one has taken them up in recent times, though occasionally some pioneer plot holder will take on one of these plots and bring them back into the mainstream.

History.

The Bebington Road Allotment site was acquired by the Council on 24 July 1929 from R. G. Orred , deed reference O.5.17. That land included not only the allotments but also the land where houses are now built on Bebington Road and Alexandra Drive.

Prior to 1929 the site was farmland, possibly a farm specialising in pig breading. Prior to 1929 the site was farmland, possibly a farm specialising in pig breading. The map below shows how the area looked in 1889, with the allotment site comprising fields 74, 76 and 77.

There are stories about the site being owned by a railway company for its workforce back in 1907/08, but there is no known documentary evidence for this; perhaps the company rented land from the farm. There are also stories that railway carriages were used on site during the 2nd World War.

More detailed information can be found on www.beballot.co.uk

Quite an interesting read! It makes me really proud to be apart of the allotments and to be part of the history in years to come.

I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe learned something new.

My next post, Excited about seeds.

Bob.