What is the Town Ham?
One of Gloucester’s hidden gems, the Town Ham is a field on the far side of Westgate Bridge. Surrounded by trees and bordering a nature reserve it has a view of the cathedral tower and is ten minutes’ walk from town. Since the 30s it’s been an allotment site, but Westgate’s dwindling population has meant that lately only 12 of its 50 plots have been cultivated. In May the City Council discovered low levels of contamination in the soil and decided to close the site.

Why would I want a leisure garden out there?
If you’ve outgrown your window box If you like the taste of fresh vegetables If you like being in the open air, smelling flowers you’ve grown, eating your own fruit.

What do I have to do?
The council needs to be convinced that enough people in the city want this to happen. Join the Town Ham Community Leisure Garden Association as a full member if you want a plot or an associate member if you want to support us. It won’t cost you anything and we’ll update you on what’s happening.

Who are the Town Ham Community Leisure Garden Association?
We are a group of current and future plotholders who want to clean up the soil, reopen the site and develop it as a community leisure garden. As well as individual plots with sheds, fruit trees, vegetable and flower beds there could be a clubhouse, a shop, composting facilities, a tea room, a study centre – it’s up to you.