Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association (SPAA)

The allotments are located at:

Swallowfield Parish Allotment
Part Lane
Swallowfield
Berkshire
RG7 1TB

For further information, email secretary@swallowfieldpaa.org or chair@swallowfieldpaa.org

For over a decade Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association (SPAA) has managed the allotment provision in the Parish on behalf of the Parish Council.

Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association
In 2010, following many requests from local people and under the auspices of Swallowfield Parish Council, a group of enthusiasts joined together to find a suitable plot of land for the establishment of parish allotments. Two potential sites were rejected before the Calico Field on Part Lane was settled upon. The field was offered by the Calico Trust, a local charity, and had been used for grazing horses. It had an existing water supply and good access to the road, and the stable buildings were able to be saved and repurposed as communal allotment sheds.

The Parish Council duly leased the site from Calico and subsequently rented it to the Allotment Association, which by then had been formalised as SPAA and had produced a Constitution and formed a Committee. Planning permission from WBC was obtained on condition that the entrance was moved back from the road, and work began in 2011 to clear the site and prepare the ground for ploughing.

Funding was needed to create a new entrance and car park but with a donation from the Swallowfield Horticultural Society and the Parish Council, along with a successful Lottery Grant application, it was possible to create the car park, erect fencing around the field, plant hedgerows and install water troughs along the central path.

The site has gone from strength to strength and now has a mixture of full-sized and half-sized plots. There have been many developments and improvements along the way and in 2016 funds were raised to install a Polytunnel for the use of all plot holders. Following concerns about flooding, a pond was dug out in 2017 and has become a habitat for wildlife. Another larger pond was created in 2023, and along with some landscaping of the site this has helped to manage the water which can collect on site over the winter.

The site is managed by the SPAA committee and the plot-holders who pay an annual fee to rent their allotments. Regular working parties are held to trim the hedgerows, cut the grass, maintain the buildings, plus any other jobs which arise, and regular fund-raising events are held to raise money to buy and maintain communal equipment used on the site.

We are a friendly, supportive community and welcome newcomers whether you are a novice or an expert gardener. If you would like to know more or are thinking about renting an allotment, please contact:

chair@swallowfieldpaa.org

The allotments are located at:

Swallowfield Parish Allotment
Part Lane
Swallowfield
Berkshire
RG7 1TB

For further information, email secretary@swallowfieldpaa.org.