Right, this time I'm serious. I need the exercise, I could use the fresh air and I'd like to have some of my own veggies. We're looking to find an allotment near to us (Western Road, S10) and there's definitely availability at Hagg House:

http://www.google.co.uk/local?f=q&hl=en&q=Hagg+Hill,+Norton,+Sheffield,+South+Yorkshire,+S 10&ie=UTF8&ll=53.388883,-1.522336&spn=0.005285,0.021629&t=h&om=1

...bordered by Rivelin Valley Road, Hagg Hill and Bole Hill Road.

They don't seem to be in great nick, especially compared to the ones on the other (sunnier?) side of the valley. I've also heard about problems with vandalism and crime... can anyone elaborate, confirm or deny? And looking at current availability, should we be considering any other sites?

Thanks,

*j* :wave:

Get yourself an Xtream-allotment(tm). Just find a spot of land somewhere, a verge at the side of the road and plant your stuff there.

Why don't you look here...

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out--about/parks-woodlands--countryside/allotments

We've applied - you'll need to go on a waiting list. Some areas have free sites. Apparently the problem is that some sites are "leased" although people don't do anything on them. So that means people like you and me have to wait until they stop paying their bill, or the council asks them if they actually still want the plot. Seems unfair to me....!

I've already checked, Hagg House has no waiting list, as many as 100 plots available right now. However, they're in a bit of an overgrown state...

*j*

I know that some of the Rivelin ones have been vandalised, we were thinking of getting one there and weren't sure. I'd be gutted if someone stomped on me veggies!! :(

Hi
Myself and a friend have just taken adjourning plots on Hagg House - and there are three or four new allotment holders this year. We agree - there is a hell of a lot of work to do. However, in two afternoons we have cut down twenty foot hedging to 4 foot and gradually cleared the undergrowth. When the hedges are cut youy can get a much better idea ofthe possibilities. This stretch of allotments could be great if we can get enough people on site and bash it into shape. Come on, be a pioneer!! With regards to vandalism there is a couple who have had their allotment there for 20 odd years and they have never had any problems. Hope to see you down there - we are numbers 123 and i think 125 (the map is a bit vague!)

We looked at Hagg House Allotments and have ended up on the waiting list for Hagg Lane (approx 6months). At the time, Hagg House was isolated and I was a bit worried about being there on my own. However, as more and more people take over this space, it'd be a good idea to form some kind of committee. Rumour has it that if a few of you (not sure but think the magic number might be 6 plus) are all using a fairly abandonded allotment, and form your own group, you can nag the council to clean the area up. It'd be a great site if the council also got involved and sorted the overgrown hedges, etc out, and took away the waste that seems to have been dumped.

Bob the allotment Ranger may be able to help lick it into shape before you move in. Contact the Park Depts' allotment officer on 2734528.

I've got one up the road opposite Clough Fields stables. The one we had was an absolute mess last november - it took about 6 of us 2 days to clear half of it (was full of rose buses and stuff). Now 8 months (and most weekends) later we have 5 raised beds and this morning I picked 1kg of beans which had grown since I last picked them 4 days ago. It's the best feeling in the world eating your own food! We are doing it organically so picking the bindweed off is the most annoying job

Photos of the transformation here: Allotment Photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rightee/sets/1475695/)

Back on thread the Hagg Lane ones are in a bad way, It wouldn't take much for the council to clean them up and I'm sure they'd all get snapped up as allotmenting seems to be coming popular again.

Hi

It's been interesting to read the thread about Hagg Hill allotments - I've just taken over number 17 and I'd agree that it feels a bit isolated down there....but it's part of the fun! there seems to be a growing number of people taking up plots down there (today some people came by and might take up 16&18, so it's beginning to fill up a bit) - I'd say give it a go, better to try it out than spend months on the waiting list as a frustrated "allotmenteer". We've managed to clear our site of brambles in just a couple of days and underneath there's some interesting raised beds from back in the day - the soil looks pretty shocking but it's all good!

So, hope I've added weigth to the "Hagg Hill...A reet ace allotment" argument...

Someone (sorry, mind like a sieve!) suggested that we could ask the allotments office to tidy it up a bit, which sounds like a champion idea - if anyone who's a Hagg Hiller fancies it, pm me and we could ask together, critical mass and all that! & if anyone can tell me how to get water out of the standpipe things I'd be v grateful!


Vic

me again...

another reason that HH is ace - I also live on Western Rd in Crookes, and it's a lovely 20 minute walk to the site. This means you can easily do a 50 minute stroll there and back (ten minutes extra due to the steep incline on the way back) enabling you to call at Couplands on the return journey and scoff pasties... Yay!

I could be seriously tempted by one of these. My 3 square foot veg patch at the bottom of my garden has been quite successful considering it's my first year playing at this gardening thing. But you only need one marrow plant and one cucumber and it's full!
I emailed the council asking about availability in S6 but haven't had any response. Hagg Hill's not far from me I may wander down and have a nose around. Which ones are Hagg House then?

Hi there - just to follow on about hagg hill. I have now talked to our local councillor Veronica Hardstaff about the state of the allotments. She phoned me back last week to say she has spoken to the allotments section about the condition. One of the ways forward she is investigating is the use of community service people to help clear the allotments and will contact me again to tell me how this is progressing. I hope this helps. I agree that the more people we get down there the better - I think if we can get about 30% of the allotments taken the balance will be tipped into making the allotments a lot better. Why not form a Hagg Hill Allotment Association (or better a Hagg Allotment Hill Association so we could shorten it to HAHA) and share resources and support each other? Anyone interested?

I keep getting confused by the names as well. Hagg House are I think the over grown ones backing onto Bole Hill Road to the junction with Bell Hagg Road as it drops to the rivelin. If you turn down Bell Hagg Road and then go into the first path on the right our lovely allotment 123 is on the left - at least you can see we have made a start!

Hi Sam

an association sounds like a great idea - would definitely be interested
I also get confused by the names, sorry if I'm adding to that - the map I have says Hagg Hill Two, Hagg House (bordered by Bole Hill Lane, Hagg Hill and Rivelin, like I think you said!)... Would that make the association name Hahha? (sorry it's early in the morning and I'm still a bit over excited after going to see the Rolling Stones last night!)

The idea of having community service help to clear and tidy the plots sounds really good -even an initial start with some of the paths would be ace. I'll speak to the couple of people I've met down my way, when I see them as well.

Vicky

Just going through the process of taking on no. 18. Having been on the waiting list at Crookes Quarry for a couple of years now, I've given up waiting for someone to die and taken up the challenge of Hagg Hill. It seems like quite a few of them are being taken up at the moment, which is good news. The alloment office appear to have no idea just how bad they are down there - i.e. the fact that about half of the 'allotments' are now woodland, yet alone trying to find out number of allotments, how to get in some of them, 6 foot plus weeds on the paths.

Think I must have spoken to you on Wednesday afternoon Vicky when I was having a look round for a plot. Congrats on the clearance, hope we can manage to achieve something similar.

Rob

I think the allotment people know how bad they are, they just can't be bothered doing anything about it. It's a shame though, for not much money to give them a good clear up they would probably all be taken..