About Us
We have been at our present location for over 75 years. Grove Allotment is an oasis, mostly hidden from view and enjoyed throughout the year by all our members, their families and our many friends from the animal kingdom. We have many visitors ranging from hedgehogs to foxes and blue tits to badgers all sharing the natural beauty of our allotment gardens. We do allow hens in small numbers to be kept according to our required standards, and we also have a number of pigeon fanciers among our membership who keep birds in lofts on their plots.
We have a mains water supply to both our sites. This is an important facility for managing livestock, ensures the availability of water for plants during dry and hot periods (and security of supply for cups of tea!) but we encourage everyone to save rainwater for the purpose of watering plants as much as possible. Mains water is turned off during the frosty winter period to protect the pipes.
Our elected committee is responsible for the administration of the association and the day-to-day management of our two allotment sites. The Committee is elected each year at our Annual General Meeting in November. When a tenancy agreement is signed for an allotment plot, everyone named on the agreement automatically becomes a member of the association. Membership of the association ends when the tenancy ends, for whatever reason.
Grove allotment gardens has a long tradition of members with pigeon lofts. Something we celebrate as part of the character of our space. It reflects the history of pigeon racing across the coalfield and industrial communities of Britain. We currently have 7 members keeping racing pigeons on our two sites. The daily gorgeous sight of flights of pigeons from our pigeon lofts is as beautiful to behold as the glorious flowers and vegetables grown across our allotment gardens.
Racing Pigeons on the Allotment
Our thanks to John and his wonderful birds for the photos.