Allotment gardening is a great way to relax, meet like-minded people, enjoy the fresh air, have some physical exercise and grow some fresh fruit, veg and flowers for yourself and your friends and family.

Bounded by the Stevenage-Hertford North railway line to the east and North Road to the west, the allotments at North Road are a four-acre triangular shaped oasis of peace and quiet only five minutes walk from Hertford North railway station. Some people come here to relax and do physical activity after a rough day commuting to a London office; some for companionship and an old-fashioned chat; some to grow prize-winning flowers and vegetables; and some for ‘me-time’ getting back to nature in a shed.

Interested in a plot? Apply Online.

Many house gardens in towns are small and shaded by hedges, walls, trees and neighbouring properties. Unfortunately, fruit and vegetables really like full sunshine all day long. And despite what the pundits tell you, it isn’t really possible to grow that much on a balcony or windowsill of a flat.

In contrast, an allotment gives you enough space and sunlight to grow an abundance of things – from unusual varieties of potatoes that really do taste better than those in shops; enough soft fruit for breakfast and to make jams and jellies all summer-long; and flowers to fill every vase in your house.

You can grow your own saffron; tomatoes that taste like those in Italian market stalls; so much asparagus that you’ll be giving it away to your friends and neighbours; blueberries blushed by the mid-summer sun; and squash, onions and garlic to store and feed you through the winter.

And all of this can be done organically, and with almost no food miles. The soil at North Road is pretty good – a bit stony (like much of Hertfordshire) but fertile, quite well-drained, easier to dig than heavy clay, and very responsive to improvement with organic matter and cultivation.

Grow, eat and cook locally and healthily – your mind and body will thank you for it. Interested? Apply Online, or browse our FAQ. Plots, subject to size are  £22.50 (for 2022) (with a concession for pensioners or benefit recipients) – a fraction of the cost of a gym membership or a psychotherapist!