One likes to think that perhaps a few villagers while walking in Rose Lane, or as named in recent years Rose Barn Lane, pause and give a thought to this once busy bridleway, which was for centuries one of the main tracks into the open fields leading to Dixons Gap and through into Buckinghamshire and far beond. Our interest is however in the allotment gardens, and it is only a few of the older residents who will remember the field following on from the Grange Road Estate cultivated until 1968, and where most of the village families rented a plot of land, ten or twenty poles, for a small fee, which was put to good use growing vegetables, a means of helping with the family budget.
For the history of these five acres we must go back to 1796, with the loss of the common land the whole system was changed and no longer could the villagers obtain fuel for heating around the many hedgerows as had been the custom for centuries.
Various small areas had been allotted for this purpose but many villages were left to sort out their own problems and, apart from the area occupied by the Grange Estate today, which was the recognised "waste land", no other provision was made for Wilstone.
Tring residents had the use of one hundred acres of common land above Tring at Hastoe, obviously well out of reach of the surrounding villages, and in many cases needy villagers had to rely on the help of Tring Charities for some assistance. Coal was a little known commodity among the poorer classes until the coming of the canals and even then, when the price dropped from two shillings and sixpence to one shilling and threepence per hundredweight, with wages so low, one imagines wood was the main fuel. Much has been written of the widespread distress of this early 19th century.
But by 1860 Lord Rothschild had acquired the mansion in Tring and he, wishing to enlarge his estate still further, had his eye on these 100 acres of common land, and made a welcome offer of exchange with the Charities Committee. Ten acres on Mortimer Hill and five at Wilstone, together with £5,000, the dividends of which would help support 800 needy families in the area. This change eventually took place in 1881 and from then on it became the custom of the Charities to issue free bread and coal at certain times of the year. Throughout all these troubles Parliament did not seem worried by the employment situation since the labourers, as mentioned previously, tended to migrate to towns where more and more factories were in urgent need of labour.
However in 1882, as a contribution to relieve the rural poverty, an "Allotment Act" was passed, and this bound the trustees of any publicly owned land, held for charitable purposes, to let it on demand to labourers for use as allotments, and so we read from the minutes of the Trustees of the Charities dated 2nd September 1885 an application from sundry householders in Wilstone claiming under the Act to have a field, the five acres acquired formerly from Lord Rothschild. This was now in the occupation of Mr James Grange. He was a member of the Committee and, after lengthy discussion, the "Committee resolved, considering all circumstances, this was not a suitable time to make any alterations to the holding".
One can imagine the feelings of the villages especially as 1885 was the year when a general reduction in wages in the farming industry was made throughout the county. To add to their troubles also, straw plaiting, which had been a cottage industry for centuries and a means of augmenting their small incomes, had suffered a blow with the import of cheaper and in many cases better hats and baskets from the Continent.
The situation remained unaltered until 1890 when Mr Grange, by then a sick man, vacated the ground and the allotments were finally opened in 1891.
From then on the Charity records give an interesting history of this land, the upkeep and the many names of residents who were employed over the years to tend to the hedges and ditches and who carried out the various repairs that were needed.
Old names, many common to the village until a few years ago, drift through these records. During 1891, Thomas Proctor, already mentioned living at Paddock Cottage, dug the well, still to be seen in the centre of the field.
| "For digging well on Wilstone Allotments, with lid and frame, and spring for drawing Three pounds" |
In fact his name appears regularly until 1904. He was responsible for tending to the hedges and keeping the ditches clear.
Another name which must be mentioned is Mr Joseph Hare, the village wheelwright and undertaker, who had recently taken over Pear Tree Cottage from the Newman family. He erected a stile and gate at a cost of five pounds, with three pounds of the best white paint. The Newman family, who were mentioned in the introduction, their long stay in the village, and their interest in the countryside around, must be dealt with when one moves to another of our very important lanes, Deans Lane, and the Lower Icknield Way. The Deans seem to have always lived in one of the old cottages in Deans Lane.
Returning to the allotments, Joseph Hare's name is mentioned in 1905 carrying out repairs to the gate, and he was followed in 1907 by Mr Evans of Long Marston. He repaired the well head and erected two notice boards.
| "To new poastes and boards and writing Four shillings and threepence". |
Mr Hanwell, who has also been mentioned, became a member of the Charities Committee and from then on reports on repairs were few and far between. It seems evident that he was trying to keep the upkeep costs down. However in 1913 a man was employed for three days, and this is particularly interesting for it not only gives the wages paid but the insurance and the price of beer. For three days he received two shillings and sixpence, his insurance was fourpence and a pint of beer a day was twopence.
In 1916 Mr Busby and Mr Reeves spent one hundred and fifty seven hours digging the trench on the northern boundary of the field. Their complete bill came to seven pounds fifteen shillings.
No records seem to exist from then on but the allotments were well used between the wars, with most plots taken.
With the outbreak of the last war and the encouragement to produce more food with the "Dig For Victory" campaigns, this led to an increase of allotment holders and the field became a hive of activity with all plots being taken. This interest carried on with great competition during the war years, so much so that in 1946 the Wilstone Allotment Society was founded, and over the next 25 years many successful shows were held on the recreation ground. But in 1968 the interest had dwindled, better living standards, cars and televisions proved more attractive and the number of owners dropped to such an extent that the field was eventually cleared and is now, once again, rented to a local farmer. As regards the Society, this carried on until 1973 but rising prices and lack of support finally forced this to be discontinued and the Village Show Days, our main attraction, had gone.
What would those gentlemen who fought so hard for those allotments think of the situation today.