Created: 19th century
Where: Britain
Scale: 330,000 allotments in the UK

A fairly ancient concept, allotments have been in existence for hundreds of years, with evidence extending to Anglo-Saxon times.

The more modern system recognisable today, has its roots in the nineteenth century, when land was given to the labouring poor to grow food, with families heading to the allotment as a regular Sunday activity. At their height of popularity, allotments were producing two million tonnes of vegetables a year and were fundamental to seeing Britain through two world wars with the help of the iconic Grow for Victory campaign. But the housing boom in the 1960s and 1970s saw allotments fall out of favour with the premium land needed for housing.

Prompted by a a desire to turn back to the land and the need to reconnect with something tangible, allotments have seen a recent revival, with some 90,000 people in a queue for an allotment and wait times as long as 40 years. Events like National Allotments Week which started in 2002 continue to thrive and build awareness of the roles allotments play in helping people lead healthier lives.