LET ’ S GO OUTS IDE
Putting Down Roots IF YOU’RE FEELING GREEN-FINGERED, FIND THE ALLOTMENT FOR YOU WHITEHILL ALLOTMENT SOCIETY A stroll from Barnwell Lake, this encompasses 130 allotments across two sites at Elfleda Road and Peverel Road. Along with a host of plots, the committee-run site also houses a shop and hosts charity projects. ROCK ALLOTMENTS The 100-year-old Rock Allotment Society is made up of Baldock Way, Glebe, Holbrook and Perne Road, which has a trading centre with discounted seeds and supplies. Don’t be put off by long waiting lists – some half-plots are being let to starters. BURNSIDE AND VINERY ALLOTMENTS Located at the bottom of Mill Road on the Romsey side, this friendly site forms part of the East Cambridge wildlife corridor, and is run by a team of volunteers. It’s also home to a community orchard, with members invited to pick its fruit. EMPTY COMMON ALLOTMENTS Separated from the city by rivers on either side, this small site is home to 41 plots. Boasting unique wildlife, expect a sanctuary away from the city. COFARM For those unsure of tackling it alone, this community farm offers a perfect alternative. The organisation rose to prominence during the pandemic for its efforts to counter food poverty around Cambridgeshire.
bloom. “I’ve gained an appreciation for how much work goes into the production of food,” Jess says. “You work your arse off for an entire year and, at the end of it, you get around four radishes!” Jess explains that one of the crowning glories of the Chesterton Allotments is its multiculturalism: she is from Ireland, while her neighbours hail from north Africa, Spain and Japan. Meanwhile, signing up at Foster Road helped Claire get back to her roots: “When growing up in China, my parents had a large backyard. We used to grow vegetables and had a huge plum tree.” As lockdown arrived, Claire sought refuge on her plot. She returned to the ingredients of her childhood, which were difficult to buy in the UK. “Growing my comfort food made me feel closer to home.” Planting tamara runner beans, fennel, chillies and raspberries, she bonded with others over her crop. “One of my neighbours on the allotment is from South Africa. She got excited to see me growing Caribbean spinach because that’s what she grew up eating. It got us talking about being away from our home countries.”
SOWING SEEDS Clay Farm Community Garden is a local space for horticulture and education in Trumpington, and has been thriving since lockdown
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