BEVERLEY PARK ALLOTMENTS
PARK VIEW, NEW MALDEN
The Beverley Park allotment site is tucked away in the corner of Beverley Park, behind the Rose Garden.
It is a small, secluded site, surrounded by trees and hedges, bordered by the Park on two sides, the gardens of the houses in Egmont Road on the third side, Beverley Brook is the fourth boundary. Access is from Park View via a footpath and a driveway.
The first allotments in Beverley Park were laid out in 1940 as part of the government's wartime “Dig for Victory Campaign” to encourage food cultivation during times of great shortages. These were “Temporary Allotments” and covered more than 6 acres of the Park. By 1953 the size of the allotment site had been reduced to 2.7 acres, as it is today, and it was given “Permanent Allotment” status.
In 1982 the allotment site became “Voluntary Managed”. It was the first site in the borough to take on the responsibility of self-management. The Beverley Park Allotment Association, of which all plotholders are members, manages the site.
The site has land equivalent to 20 'full' plots suitable for growing food crops; a 'full' plot is 250 sq. metres. Most plots are let as 'half' plots, 125 sq. metres. We also let a few 'quarter' plots.
We are fortunate to have an old stable building, which is used as a communal storage shed. The stable was built in 1915 for the park keeper's horse, which was used to pull the mower to cut the grass in the park.
There is a small orchard next to the stable, planted by the Association in 1997; the “Millenium Orchard” is a lovely spot with a small wildflower meadow and a seating area.
In the last few years we have held open days and plant sales, selling refreshments, including home-made cakes. These days have proved very popular with the public and we have enjoyed showing the visitors our site as well as raising extra funds for various projects.
