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Keighley Town Council Allotment Sites

Allotment Sites

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Arncliffe Rd

Arncliffe Road

This land was bought in 1895 from the Most Noble Spencer Compton Eighth Duke of Devonshire for the princely sum of £2,700.0.0d.by the Guardians of the poor of Keighley to be used as allotment gardens.

There is an old former substation on the allotments which in time will be brought into use by the tenants when they decide what to use it for. Also two plots on site will be turned into an orchard for the tenants which will have a couple of hives of honeybees (the least aggressive type) a couple of hedgehog hotels for them to hibernate, the plot holders must leave sufficient gaps in their fences to allow full access through the allotments for the hogs.

Arncliffe Rd Allotment site was created on the former grounds of St John’s Hospital that closed in 1970 when the last patient was transferred to Airedale General Hospital, in 1973 the Hospital was demolished and part of the land was allocated for allotments by the District Council.

In 1974 Keighley Town Council took on responsibility of all the allotments within Keighley using the power of the Small Holdings & Allotments Act 1908, ss. 23, 26, and 42.

This site accommodates upwards of 50 plots with a mixture of full and half plots plus 6 raised beds for the disabled, the site itself has gone through many design changes over the years with improvements added year on year from the time the Town Council became responsible for their upkeep.

This is only a garden allotment site with the option of keeping a few (4 to 6) chickens with the approval of other tenants.

The site is surrounded on three sides with metal fencing that was part of the improvements agreed by the Allotments and Landscapes Committee and approved by Council.

The Committee decided that this site would be the first one in Keighley to have raised beds specifically designed for disabled who are wheelchair bound, during late summer 2008. The ground was levelled and a firm base for wheelchairs to travers around each bed with minimum effort.

All in all, this has been a worthwhile project to invest in for the council and community alike.

Bracken Bank

Bracken Bank

Opened in 1947/48

The road was not built until after 21st of September 1948

There were quite a few allotment holders at that time. There are now only 4 allotment holders. This may be due to the boggy nature of most of the plots, making it hard to grow fruit and vegetables.

This is mainly paddocking for horses and ponies with a few chickens and ducks. Some tenants grow a few vegetables.

Castle Hills

Castle Hills

This is one of the larger sites.

It has a varied history which goes back a long way.

Io am still trying to locate when it became an allotment site as I cannot find documents referring to this. There was a fly tipping problem on the site in 1915. Has chickens, ducks, and pigeons.

It was set up as allotments gardens to cater for the working class to grow vegetables and keeping of hens and ducks for consumption.

We have had a few new plot holders in the last couple of years who have made a difference to some of the empty plots and now look like allotment plots.

We are in the process of trying to get sheds and the like tidied up so the view will over time look appealing.

Dockroyd La

Dockroyd Lane

This is a small site situated down a country road.

It was set up as allotments prior to 1957, possibly during the “dig for victory” in 1942 or “Grow More Food” campaign in 1939

Most of the plots are well cultivated and look amazing in late spring/early summer with the blooms of flowers also grown by the plot holders

It is much sought after by residents of Oakworth

Granby Drive 1

Granby Drive

Small to medium site

It used to have more plots but some of these were taken over by Bradford Council and turned into a recreation/playground.

Purchased for £2,750 from George Sturrock Lister and Eunice Doreen Lister to the Borough of Keighley 1962

At least one of the plots is used as an organic garden with no weed killer used or chemicals in the feed. Only feed made from rotting vegetation is put back onto the plot. Even some of the weeds are used in sals such as nettles and dandelion

Guardhouse Allotments

Guardhouse

The biggest site in Keighley.

1904 was part of Brow Field.

Since 1914 there have been allotments on this site. They may have been privately owned as the land was originally bought in 1967 by Keighley Borough Corporation.

It had over 150 plots and was well used for the keeping of pigs, horses, goats, Geese, ducks and hens, some of the plots have been turned into a woodland area for the residents to wander through.

There is a variety of wildlife such as deer, foxes, pheasant, rabbits, rodents and lots of bats. The North beck just below the allotments has a variety of insects such as Dragonflies, Damselflies and other insects with a few small brown trout and bullheads. I have seen king fishers on rare occasions.

There are plans to plant lots more trees in the lower end of the allotments this will include some fruit trees.

There are plans to open some of the vacant plots later this year so that we can reduce the waiting list

There are people that have done surveys in the past so the information may still be available on the websites.

Registered to KTC 16th April 2006

Hard Ings Rd

Hard Ings Road

Old established site, bought in 1948 for £420

The water was put in in 1952/53, with a supply pipe agreed at a council meeting 21/10/1952 for the sum of £80

The site eventually became neglected and run down due to lack of people using allotment.  Finally it was rejuvenated in 2005

2018 the road works were started on Hard Ings Road which meant we would lose some of the plots and the work to realign what was left, was finally finished late 2020, a couple of the plots are run by a school and charity groups

Marland Road

Marland Road

Old site in two parts. Was part of the rugby pitch in 1953 and was turned into allotments in 1987. The first group that took on plots were into creating “hot bedding” which is the process of piling plenty of compost and manure to create heat from the bacteria breaking the compost/manure down. This in turn meant they could grow crops earlier than most people and grow better crops.

It has been said that they were the first group to invent this process.

Two of the plots on Marland Road were turned into gardens from bramble and weed infested ground. To date they have won awards for there garden.

Morton

Morton

Well established site since 1923

There is an orchard half way down the site which is looked after by some of the plot holders.

Most of the plots are well looked after with a few being rather neglected at the moment. New tenants will take care of them when they are allowed to go on them.

Selborne Grove

Selborne Grove

Large sprawling site has chickens, ducks, and pigeons, as well as a lot of flowers, fruit and vegetables being grown

Some of the plots are run by two schools and some are run by a charity,

One of the vacant plots had a sewage leak which has now been fixed and will be ready for re-use later this year.

At least three have been left empty due to the large quantity of debris/trees/weeds, these will cost a lot of time, money to clear. But once done will provide more plots for the people on the waiting list

Since 1956. Bought for under £3,000

Utley

Utley

Westfield Crescent

Westfield Crescent

This has a small nature walk up a steep path with lots of wildlife seen such as bats and rabbits, foxes and mice

Formally part of the meadow (1867)

Path at the side of the plots is called Judith Cliffe part of the land conveyance 7th June 1957

Registered to KTC 2006

Path at the side of the plots is called Judith Cliffe part of the land conveyance 7th June 1957

Registered to KTC 2006