Allotments Update from BAG

Broadwindsor Allotments are situated across the road from the school. They are owned by the Broadwindsor Group Parish Council and let on an annual tenancy agreement. Tenants also join the Broadwindsor Allotment Group (BAG) formed in 2011 in order to apply for funding to have water on site. (*The presentation from 2014 is at the foot of this post).

At the helm of BAG now are co-Chairs Sheila Hawkins and Susannah Madigan who issued this update:
“This year, almost all the plots on Broadwindsor Allotment site have been let. In addition to the cultivation strips, over recent years the Broadwindsor Allotment Group has developed a wild flower meadow, which is a difficult thing to achieve on land that has been previously cultivated. After several annual sowings of Yellow Rattle seed to try to eliminate couch grass, this year the meadow has produced a colourful display of wildflowers, butterflies and insects. The whole site, in fact, is a wildlife sanctuary: we know we have slow worms and a family of grass snakes; one plot has a large pond where dragonflies (Broad Bodied Chasers – a newly hatched one shown in the photograph) and/or damselflies breed, and we see a good variety of birds, butterflies, beetles and other insects.

In January 2020 BAG members planted up a small orchard on a long-unused half plot. Two-year old saplings were purchased from Perrie Hale Nurseries, Honiton, which specialises in varieties specific to the South West. We planted 6 apple trees, a pear and a plum, and already have a mature cherry tree in place. During the winter 2019, with grant assistance from Broadwindsor Group Parish Council, we planted 250 native fruiting hedge whips along the boundary bank above the Drimpton Road. These are all flourishing, and we plan to lay these in 3-4 years time. Also that year the Parish Council funded the purchase of a bird scarer kite to ward off jackdaws and pigeons from crops.
A few years back we were able, with a Parish Council grant along with funds and volunteers from BAG,  to design and build a large-scale communal water harvester in the middle of the site, which has been a fantastic boon – previously there was no on-site water supply.
Grateful thanks to Broadwindsor Group Parish Council for all its support.
Sheila Hawkins
Susannah Madigan
Co-Chairs, BAG”

*Here is the video presentation from 2014 for BAG’s Water Harvester Project:

 

All photo credits: Sheila Hawkins.
Video edited by: Wendy Shields

To find out more about Broadwindsor Allotments:
Contact Helen Cudmore, the Town Clerk – 01308 488440
or email: hello@broadwindsorgroup.gov.uk

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