National Allotments Week – August 4, 2026

History of National Allotments Week

National Allotments Week was established in 2002 to raise awareness of allotments and the role they play in assisting people in leading healthier lifestyles, growing their own food, developing friendships, and strengthening communities. Allotments have been around for centuries, with evidence dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. However, the system we know today dates back to the nineteenth century, when the land was given to the working class to produce their own food. Due to the country’s rapid industrialization and lack of a welfare state, allotments were desperately needed. In 1908, the Small Holdings and Allotments Act went into effect, requiring local governments to provide enough allotments to meet demand.

However, land was not made available to all until the end of World War I, primarily to assist returning servicemen rather than just the working class under the Land Settlement (Facilities) Act 1919. The Allotments Acts of 1922 strengthened the rights of allotment holders in England and Wales, but the most significant change was the Allotments Act of 1925, which established statutory allotments that local authorities could not sell or convert without Ministerial consent, known as Section 8 orders.

The Community Empowerment Act, which updated and simplified allotment legislation in Scotland, went into effect in 2015 requiring local governments to keep waiting lists and provide allotments if waiting lists reached certain thresholds. It strengthened allotment protection and clarified the rights of local governments and plot owners. Following its inception in 2002, National Allotments Week is almost two decades old and is thriving.