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These allotment gardens date back to the first half of the 19th century. They remain in private ownership, several now being owned by the Bagthorpe Gardeners Association charitable trust which has been influential in ensuring the continuity of this historic site. The following description is taken from their website:

“1842: The Start
Bagthorpe Gardens were established in 1842 as a result of the campaigns by the Cottage Garden Society and the Chartist Land Company to provide families from the labouring class with the means to grow their own food. 
Ichabod Wright (the owner of Mapperley Hall) made the land available from his allocation of land enclosed by the Enclosure Acts. The original footprint of the site extended over to the north side of the Haydn Road, west to the Hucknall Road (now houses) and east to where the Devonshire Road houses now stand. Only 36 of the 60 original quarter-acre gardens still exist, bounded by hedges and many still have the original small brick bothies.
 
1997: The Revival
Bagthorpe Gardeners Association was formed in 1997 to protect and maintain the heritage of what remained of this historic site, while still maintaining it as working allotments. The water supply was laid in the West Avenue in 1999 and in the East Avenue in 2007.
In 2002, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust presented the Association with the “Green Guardians” award for the most environmental community.
Bagthorpe Gardeners was established as a registered charity in 2005, the same year as it purchased its first two gardens creating the “July Plot” on the West Avenue. Three further gardens have since been bought by the Association, and it manages seven more gardens on behalf of private owners.

Bagthorpe Gardens was listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List on 20 July 2012 by Historic England. Details of the official list entry and a more detailed description of the site and its history can be found here. Link”

The Listing description explains in detail the importance of the survival of the gardens, “there are only four other registered examples . . . those [garden plots] that do survive represent the core of the original gardens established in 1842 and their layout still reflects the original design“.

Also important is the survival of some of the bothies. These provided important accommodation enabling owners to spend time on the plots rather than having to make a long walk home at night to the city. Although the remains suggest that these were largely similar, being built of brick with a pitched pantile roof, equally there does not appear to have been a standard design.

Created: Tue, 16 Sep 2025, Updated: Tue, 16 Sep 2025