Allotments in Malmesbury
Allotments in Malmesbury Town itself maybe scarce, but a short drive from the town there are more opportunities to grow food. Some very good news is that there are full and half allotments available now just a short drive from Malmesbury, on "Aunt Addies Farm", just inside the border with Gloucestershire near Long Newnton. Malmesbury's Wiltshire Councillor, Simon Killane, has a really good short video about it here:
http://simonkillane.mycouncillor.org.uk/community-projects/aunt-addies-farm/
To enquire about allotments at Aunt Addies Farm, please contact Ros Holland on 07970 729899 or rosholland@btinternet.com .
The two main allotment sites in Malmesbury town have a recent history of long, unmoving waiting lists, however opportunities do arise on them from time to time. Contact details for these sites are as follows:
1. Harpers' Lane site: The Warden & Freemen of Malmesbury, 1 Market Lane, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9BQ. This office used to be open between 9.30am and 11.00am on a Friday for people to pop in and enquire about the waiting list. It may be that it still is - I'm afraid that I'm not up to date on that. This office does not issue a telephone number.
2. Foxley Road site: The land here is owned by the Warden & Freemen above (also known as "The Commoners"), but a manager who lives nearby operates it for them. His details are: Mr. Neve, 3 Common Road, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 0HN.
There is no organisation of garden shares in the town at present, but these do occur spontaneously through word of mouth and there is probably enough interest in them for someone to take up their management, perhaps along the lines of the Isle of Wight Adopt-a-Garden scheme.
Some of the surrounding villages also have vacancies on their allotments and Malmesbury residents drive out to take these up - Sherston, Seagry, Little Somerford, Great Somerford (Great Somerford almost certainly has the first, and hence oldest, allotment site in the country) and Lea are the places where this may be happening.
There is a good amount of interest in growing-your-own in the town and so it is not difficult to acquire supplies - there is a shop in the High St, called E & S, selling seed potatoes, seeds and garden equipment. There is a nursery on Foxley Road (called "Foxley Road Nurseries"). The Garden Club usually hold a plant sale in May. There is also a garden centre on the outskirts of the town - on the A429.
Information provided by Rhona Killane
e-mail: fun@killane.wanadoo.co.uk
telephone: (01666) 823169
post: 39 White Lion Park, Malmesbury, SN16 0QP