The allotments off Church Street, Oughtibridge, were created in 2008 by a group of local residents, on a field rented from Bradfield Parish Council, formerly known as Kaye Meadow.

When we got the field it was overgrown with nettles and brambles and knee deep in water so the group set to levelling the ground and putting in a system of enormous drainage pipes, which turned the site into a huge sea of mud. Eventually the water subsided and on one winter's day we all got together with our surveyor, his map and table and a whole lot of string to mark out the plots. Each plot measured 10metres by 10 metres which is very small in allotment terms but has turned out to be just the right size. On our 1 acre site we have 22 plots.

Most people took possession of their new plots in the winter of 2008/9 and began to build terraces and raised beds and make them look like home, so that by the spring it looked like the site had been there for ever. We found out that the water flowing from the top of the site from what looks like a land drain could be channelled into a system of barrels which covers the whole site. We built paths using a lot of material donated to us by the gang just finishing the repairs on Hangmans at Langsett Road (which had been severely damaged in the 2007 floods). We covered the paths with wood chippings donated from various local foresters and bought a job lot of scaffolding boards to share around the group.

At the top of our site we have preserved an area to maintain as a meadow. This is strimmed each autumn and the nutrients are removed to allow the natural flora to grow through. At the moment we have a rich crop of common hogweed but we are battling to remove it. Other species such as hay rattle and knapweed are thriving there. At the bottom of our site, amongst the shade of the trees, is a stream which is undisturbed by the allotment activities. There is a great deal of wildlife on site, some of it welcome and some (especially rabbits and pigeons) definitely not. We are an organic site and provide valuable nectar sources all year round for bees and butterflies. We have planted native species hedge plants all round the perimeter.

Our site, eight years on, is now a beautiful spot – especially in the high days of summer with the sunflowers and runner beans at their best. There has been some turnover of tenants on the site but about a third of the original group is still in residence. Many allotmenteers have become good friends and a strong community has been built. We have held Open Days on site.