You can find an archive of our newsletters here.
- Message from the ChairSt Margaret’s Allotments were established in 1848, so, as gardeners and visitors, we have a beautiful site which generations before us have cared for. Our responsibility is to hand it on as good, or better, than we found it. Our responsibility is also to remember what was achieved before our time. That is why the… Read more: Message from the Chair
- ST MARGARET’S ALLOTMENTS: THE CATHEDRAL CONNECTIONBRIAN YOUNG, Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham (Originally published by JACKSON, M.J. and YOUNG, B., CONSTRUCTION HISTORY Vol. 31, No. 2, 2016.) Although much is known about Durham Cathedral’s early history, no records survive of the source of the huge amount of stone needed for its building. However, in the… Read more: ST MARGARET’S ALLOTMENTS: THE CATHEDRAL CONNECTION
- ALLOTMENT PONDS: Deep Past, Perilous FutureBy David Rollason Lynda and David Rollason’s pond, plot 16. Ponds are treasure-houses of life. Their plants and animals are mind-blowingly ancient. Fossils from a pond on the Isle of Wight are 36 million years old, and include damselflies, bulrushes, water soldier plants, and pondweeds as today. When you look into a pond, you are… Read more: ALLOTMENT PONDS: Deep Past, Perilous Future
- Member ‘plotlight’: Jon, plot 22This month our ‘plotlight’ shines on Jon, who has been enjoying his allotment at St Margaret’s for 7 or 8 years. His adorable dog Popps is a frequent helper. Be sure to read about his recent ‘find’ of a King George III coin on his plot in the NEWS section of this issue, and have… Read more: Member ‘plotlight’: Jon, plot 22
- Durham City Green Corridor Project – invitation to take part
We have been approached by the National Trust who are working on the Durham City Green Corridor project, which is exploring how the green and blue spaces running through Durham can better support local communities, wildlife and heritage. As part of the project, they are gathering ideas from people and organisations across the area about… Read more: Durham City Green Corridor Project – invitation to take part - Maintenance update: New gates are on the way!
- Are you ‘no-dig’-curious?Our own Dave Rippon has been practicing no-dig gardening to great success on plot 49 since he took it on in 2019, and he has generously composed the following piece for anyone wishing to learn more. Take it away, Dave! “It all starts with the soil” -Charles Dowding There’s been a lot of interest in… Read more: Are you ‘no-dig’-curious?
- Exciting discovery– a coin lost by an allotmenteer nearly 200 years ago?
Jon Dougherty has made an exciting discovery on his plot (plot 22) – an ancient coin buried in the soil of one of his raised beds. It is not a Roman coin, because it has a milled edge, produced by modern minting methods, whereas the Roman (and medieval) method of minting was to hammer a… Read more: Exciting discovery– a coin lost by an allotmenteer nearly 200 years ago? - Open Day – Scarecrow champions
Once again the Open Day produced a “world class” scarecrow competition with 14 fabulous entries. After a public vote, George and James were crowned scarecrow champions with their fabulous “Shaun the Sheep Scared Ewe”. It was voted best “baa” none and it “bleat” all the others to take the inaugural trophy – well done boys,… Read more: Open Day – Scarecrow champions - Insight into our amazing partner, St Margaret’s Centre
Lisa Harrison, manager of St Margaret’s Centre, received a group of us in the Centre on the evening of 22 June, to explain the work of the Centre, which supports around 250 people with mental health problems, offering courses to improve their health and well-being – allotment gardening (we are delighted that the Centre now… Read more: Insight into our amazing partner, St Margaret’s Centre