"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"clarissa" wrote
Hi everyone or anyone I am not sure what an allottment is in the UK - is
it
just a name for the yard around one's house? In Canada it generally
means a
portion of a communal land area where those without yards can garden.
Thanks for your help. Jean Vancouver BC Canada

It's a field (Allotment site) split up into individual Allotment plots of
usually 10 sq Rods (Poles or Perches) a Rod is an old measurement and is
5.5yds. Some sites also have half or quarter plots for rent and some sites
that are a strange shape have strange shaped/sized plots too.
So a normal plot is 302.5 sq yards or say 250 sq metres.
Lately some Councils have started to talk in "Metric Lettings" which is a
politically correct term for Rods. 1 Rod is roughly equal to 5 metres.
Most are rented out by the local Council on an annual basis usually with
the stipulation that they are mainly used for the growing of food crops
(vegetables and fruit) although I have seen them used for flowers and
nothing has been said. In other parts of the country they even keep birds
(Chickens and pigeons) and animals (Rabbits) on their plots.
The cost varies greatly from Council to Council, our's here in Runnymede
charges £80+ pa. the highest I've heard of is £100+ pa nearer Central
London, yet others just charge only a few pounds and provide free manure.
(I wish!)

The term "Yard" over here is used for a "Builders yard" or "Breakers yard"
or similar, somewhere commercial and usually a bit messy, we don't use the
term for our gardens around our homes which are either Front Gardens or
Back Gardens.


I think you'll find parts of the UK where the area surrounding the house is
called the Yard. Skipton area for sure and other parts of Yorkshire. I would
suspect the NE too.

Trevor
East Yorkshire