Site History
In the 1880s the site formed part of the land of Brookhill Farm between what is now Park Road and Belmont Road to the north of Cat Hill.
In 1910 the land was owned by a local business man, William Jackson who had variously been a shoemaker, licensee of a beer-house, builder and coffee- house keeper. Jackson was a benefactor of St. Marys’ Church and had great concern for the welfare of others. As the railway extended out of London, Jackson recognised the need for housing and built 80 cottages which now bear his name as Jackson Road.
He also recognised the need for Allotments in the area and agreed to sell 22.5 acres, at a preferential rate of £100 per acre, to East Barnet Valley Urban District Council for this purpose. Notices were posted throughout the district inviting applications for allotments and by January 1913 the Council had received sufficient interest to fill 17 acres of the site. The Council applied to the Local Government Board for a loan of £2,050 to purchase the land. Sanction was received on 13th July 1910 and allotments were let at a rate of 9d pence per pole.
(Ariel photography 1930 showing construction of Belmont Ave. and Ashhurst Rd. {roads only}
(Ariel photography 1939 showing housing on Belmont ) Ave, Ashhurst Rd, Daneland and RidgewayAve.)
With the decline of demand for allotments in the 1960s, 9 acres were given over to housing resulting in the construction of Ibsley Way. The Allotments received a water supply, a tarmac roadway and other improvements for the remaining smaller site. A further 3.5 acres were given over for housing in the early 1970s together with 3.5acres to enlarge Belmont Open Space.
In 2013, in common with all Barnet Allotment Sites, we became self- managed. This means that sites are leased from Barnet Council on a 38yr Lease, and the Council no longer has any responsibility for the maintenance and management of sites. We now all have responsibility for our management.