Adelaide Community Garden Club

About Adelaide Community Garden Club

Adelaide Community Garden is a secret garden, diverse in nature, where 43 small allotment plots and communal garden spaces are hidden between the houses of Adelaide and Fellows Road. Most plots are dedicated to vegetable and fruit growing, others to flowers to create a changing tapestry. Many gardens are dedicated to the expert growing of unusual tropical vegetables. There are mature apple, plum and pear trees, a woodland and wildflower garden with ponds, insect hotels and beehives. Polytunnels enable bringing on young plants. It is a small piece of pleasure and calm in the middle of our city.

The gardens were originally created in the mid-1970s by Sister Judith Hinchliffe who was inspired by concern for the mental and spiritual welfare of local residents, after two suicides occurred in nearby tower blocks. She believed that if people were given a plot to cultivate, it would bring real benefit to their lives. She started campaigning to persuade Camden Council to allow her to establish a community garden on the site and eventually on the 17th May 1980 the gardens were officially opened.

At this time, one current member, who, as a young child, lived in an adjoining house, remembers ‘It was a tarmacked area where we were allowed to play sometimes, and one day big trucks of earth were brought in, and then it was divided into plots.’

Once the allotments were established, Sister Judith was tireless in her efforts to raise funds for the gardens until the late 80s. Early contributions came from Inter Action, the Hampstead Wells and Camden Estate, and even a greenhouse from the DHSS.

One long standing member recalls ‘the guts, the power and dedication of those early members to hang on to what they had started’.

Founder members remember that ‘We raised funds with jumble sales at places like the Winch. We also made hand-crafted needlework and pottery gifts’.

In the early days chickens and ducks were reared in the gardens and there was a large rubber ring that acted as a duck pond. Sometimes eggs were sold to swell the funds. We used to meet in a little Nissan hut in Adelaide Road that was nursery and on one occasion, perched on tiny chairs, we hosted a meeting with the film crew who made the iconic 1990s BBC documentary ‘The World’s End’ about the 31 Bus route. You can view on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxdyOLtYvsfU8CiWQpQtXwnsav9-5zFqij

Later in the 80s there was a threat of demolition as plans for the redevelopment of the Edwardian villas in Adelaide Road were drawn up. The architectural historian Sir John Summerson (who lived round the corner) was very influential in the fight to preserve the land.

The Bangladeshi gardeners have been an integral part of the community gardens since its inception, growing wonderful tropical vines with large white courgette-like flowers that produce diverse varieties of large heavy gourds that need to be supported on strong structures, as well as climbing spinach and coriander, mustard and many varieties of beans and amaranth, a spinach-like vegetable called ‘doogi’. In 2010, the club created a ‘Bangladeshi Allotment’ at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. It featured many of the structures used and tropical plants were grown by members of the Bangladeshi community. Club members are very proud that the garden was awarded an RHS silver medal and featured on BBC2 TV who filmed the community garden and interviewed several club members about their tropical vegetable gardening. You can view on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQjGGWXsNZo

Today the garden boasts three polytunnels, several garden sheds, extensive composting and recycling facilities, a clubhouse, an eco-loo, communal lawn, and flower beds. Along with a labelled medicinal herb border, a wild garden with woodland and a pond, and an apiary with two beehives. It also has a large greenhouse which doubles as an art gallery on open days which previously have occurred each June with delicious home-made lunches, cakes and refreshments and sales of plants and liquid manure.

The gardens were originally an unregistered charity managed by a team of trustees elected by our membership and everyone paid a nominal rent for their plots. In 2020 members elected to register as a Ltd company (a Cooperative) for Community Benefit under a scheme sponsored by the National Allotment Society. The committee is made up of up to 9 members including chair, treasurer and secretary with plot holding members holding £1 shares.

New members are most welcome to join as associates and if they live locally in North Camden be on the waiting list for their own plot. Associate members can garden their own ‘miniplot’ (subject to availability) while waiting for a plot. They can also help maintain the common parts and contribute by assisting on monthly Work Days. The link to the ACGC Associate Membership Application Form is https://onthehill.info/2025/02/adelaide-community-garden-club
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