Green goddesses! Half allotment holders are women

The allotment is traditionally considered the preserve of the older male.

But it appears such chaps may soon be outnumbered by rake-wielding females.

The National Allotment Society estimates that half of allotment holders nationally are now women – compared with only 2 per cent in 1973 and 20 per cent in 2003.

Demand has soared in areas including edinburgh and Newcastle, council reports show. Local authority waiting lists have also reached record highs, further fuelled by people fed up being locked away at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The study was carried out by Dr Tilly Collins and ellen Fletcher, of Imperial College London. They surveyed a sample of 24,883 plots over 682 sites. The average age was found to be 57, with men typically older than women. In London, demand has quadrupled since 2006, with the average waiting list now five years, they found.

Dr Collins said traditional allotments have really ‘moved on’ and become a ‘very different kind of space’ where women want to relax and be self-sufficient.

She added: ‘These green spaces are now known to be so good for people’s physical and mental health.

‘Whether they are digging on their allotment or not, just relaxing there makes them feel so much better. I think women are taking allotments on with their children and grandchildren in mind to give them an understanding of food production.’

Diane Appleyard, of the National Allotment Society, said: ‘It would appear there are now at least as many, if not more, women on sites. When it was predominantly men on sites, domestic roles were relatively defined. Now men probably have less time because they are doing more domestically.’