Allotments in Coventry

Hi all, Have just walked around the Stoney Road allotments/gardens looking at the grade 2* listed summerhouses (some were built in the 1700's) on their heritage open day. Interesting tour albeit a tad wet from the rain Amazing buildings, we were told that some people would actually live in them to protect their crops and produce from thieves, although some of the huts are so small I can't imagine how they managed to find the room to lay down. Edited by member, 22nd Sep 2019 6:20 pm

There are 7/ 8 summerhouses scattered across the site. BBC News report from Summer 2018

I wonder if some of the fittings were recycled from earlier buildings?

Garlands Joke Shop, If you think those huts were too small for a family to live in, then look at the cabin of the narrow boats - there a kid could roll off the cabin into the cut and was lost forever.

Hi Garlands, How did you hear about the Stoney Road Allotments open day? As a keen allotment man, I've known these private allotments were there and have often wondered if members of the public were able to visit? Is it an annual event, or do they throw the doors/gates open more than just the once a year? Looks a fascinating place to look around!

Hi Garlands, Your third picture with the door open, looks exactly like our toilet before 1936. Amazing how these old pictures keep cropping up to remind me of 90 years ago.

Dreamtime, Me too, when I can't remember a grocery list of four items. But then when you sat in one of those places in a blizzard some years, and the newspaper squares we used were frozen solid, it does seem to make an imprint on your mind.

Not only on your mind I imagine Kaga.

Hi All, *@Anne: I'm not sure if the fittings were recycled from older buildings, but I doubt they would have used brand new materials unnecessarily on an allotment (I know my family rarely did I've hammered quite a few old nails straight). They did display some of the bricks used: *@Kaga: Perhaps the people were shorter than they are now I'm nearly 6 foot tall and doubt I could lay down in some of them, they may have slept in chairs in front of the fireplace. Yes it does look a bit like an old outdoor toilet. Frozen newspaper squares worse than the school toilet/tracing paper. *@Oddsock: It was open for the Coventry Heritage Open Days 2019. I'm unsure if they will be holding more tours later in the year or for the 2020 heritage open days, but hopefully they will Edited by member, 26th Sep 2019 9:16 pm

Just wondering if there are any byelaws in Coventry as to how smart your allotment shed should be. There is bound to be someone who has one smarter than the rest. Our allotment was just off Grayswood Avenue but didn't have the luxury of a shed and hubby had to walk a mile, or so it seemed, for the water tap. Our luxury was the most tasty Russet Apple tree ever, inherited from the previous keeper of the plot.