From a field to allotments - 10 days on

What a difference 10 days makes...

We're also discovering a bit more about the plot: good soil, some clay, some builders' rubble, no pre-historic finds yet.

The next project?

Now that the Caia Community Gardens project is off the ground, there's interest in developing the derelict bowling green at the Queensway Sports Stadium for a community garden/allotment. We'll keep you posted on this.

Readers from Rhos have also been in touch wanting to know if a similar scheme can be started in that area - I'll make enquiries.

The allotments bandwagon is well and truly rolling.

I'm lagging behind with the photos at Pentre Gwyn - the photo above is how it looked 10 days ago before anyone started digging. Now more than 20 plots have been started and many look fairly complete.
The first horse manure run was completed this morning - although the weight of the manure burst the trailer tyres! I've also been introduced to the mystery of double digging - as I've only turned over half my plot, I might give it a go for the rest of the plot to see how that works.

Good growing weather

It's been wet, it's been warm and more and more plots are being turned over. In many cases kids have been down to help their parents - here's my youngest, Lew.
Unfortunately, the tidy plot behind him isn't mine...

Pentre Gwyn allotments open

After months of hard slog, the allotments at Pentre Gwyn are finally up and running. This is how it looked the day after the last fencing was put up - mainly wet!

Within a week, some plot holders had started to transform this underused part of the field at the junction of Cefn Road and Abenbury Road on the outskirts of Wrexham into a brand new allotment and community garden.

I hope it's worth the wait for the dedicated band who have stuck with the project and made it a reality. Now the hard work begins. Despite being told there was no demand for allotments in Caia Park, we have almost 50 of the 54 plots let.

The entire project would have folded without the help and support of a number of people - firstly John Bradbury and the environment dept at Wrexham Council for his support, along with Cllr David Bithell who gave his support at a crucial time.
The land has been donated on a 99-year lease by the local community association, who have also made a donation to get us started - we owe Les Stamp and the rest of the committee a huge debt of gratitude for their backing.
As we needed thousands of pounds to pay for fencing, water supplies, a disability access path and planning permission, we had to become fundraising experts very quickly. Thanks to everyone who helped write applications and, more particularly, those bodies who contributed to the project:
Pentre Gwyn, Tanycoed and Coed y bryn Community Association
Caia Park Community Council
Keep Wales Tidy
Caia Park Communities First
Communities First Trust Fund
Wrexham Local Health Board
Last, but not least, a special mention for someone who never gave up and has shared the frustrations and setbacks that have made this launch so sweet - Nicky Ellis of Wrexham Council.

There's a long way to go and this blog will do its best to let you know how it's going.

If anyone wants one of the few remaining plots, get in touch with me at marcvjones [at] gmail.com - plots measure 8m x 5m and cost £20 for a year. The fee is decided by the plotholders who elect a voluntary committee of four every year. The rest is all decided democratically - down to where we put the compost heaps.