Allotment Tales: Rods, poles and perches

A frequent question from new groups of potential plotholders is "how big is an allotment?"

The dimensions of a traditional allotment plot were measured in rods, poles or perches – different names for the same unit. These hark back to medieval times when ploughing was done with oxen. The ploughman handled the plough, and the lad controlled the beasts with a rod, pole or perch.

I'm told that in the 16th century, a rod was decreed to be the combined length of the left feet of 16 men as they left church on a Sunday morning!

Nowadays, 200 sq m is often regarded as the size of a typical allotment plot. Some sites will have a few half-plots. My first plot was a half- plot. A year or two later when the next-door plot became vacant, the rules said that I had first refusal. Older plotholders finding that their families have fled the nest go the other way and take the opportunity to downsize.

For many people, size is not that important. They are just so keen to get a little bit of space to grow their own. At Fairlie, Ayrshire, a derelict brownfield site has been turned into a lovely mini-allotment garden, using raised beds combined with innovative composting and vermi-culture techniques.

The advantage of a whole plot is that some kind of rotation of crops can be practised. This is recommended in order to avoid the build-up of crop-specific pests and diseases, based on the four-field system pioneered in the 18th century by "Turnip" Townshend long before a quick zap with a chemical might sort out the nasties. And for those who garden organically, crop rotation is even more necessary.

Peter Wright has just published a record of what his whole plot in Edinburgh yielded over a year. He produced nearly 300kg of fruit and vegetables, not counting the 124kg of potatoes. In addition to this, he also grew garlic, radishes, lettuces, courgettes and sweetcorn. He had sufficient left over to make chutneys and jam, and when he pulls off his boots in the evening, he can sit down to sample a glass or two of his 128 bottles of homemade wine.

Spare vegetables were given to neighbours, family, and a convent which produces meals for the less fortunate.