Read all about the rich history of the inner city Cecil Avenue Allotments site, and the Horton Community Farm project that rescued a third of it from it’s lowest ebb and transformed it into the wonderful green haven for people and nature it is today. The other two-thirds of allotments remains extremely under tenanted despite the council’s latest published waiting list of 43 (since taken offline).
If you can add to the timeline with your own photos or stories we’d love to hear from you! We’re particularly interested in the era prior to our involvement so the 1900’s (or even earlier!) and early 2000’s but if you have a connection from any period, please get in touch.
The site is a mile from Bradford city centre amongst densely populated terraced streets. A fairly recent satellite image of the site can be found on google maps.
1900 (roughly) – Cecil avenue allotments is born
The land is gifted to Bradford Council for allotments by the wealthy, Wigan born Conservative politician and Yorkshire landowner Sir Francis Sharp-Powell who lived from 1827 to 1911. His connection to the area was through his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Wade, co-heiress with her brother, Francis Sharp Bridges, of Horton Old Hall at Little Horton Green, who inherited the Yorkshire estates of the Sharp family.
Interestingly, as an aside, the nearby Little Horton Green remains an incongruous collection of cottages and fields dating as far back as the 1600’s, despite the city spreading all around them, thanks to the fact that Sir Francis…
“…steadfastly refused to have his green fields about Horton Old Hall and Little Horton Green encroached upon. The increased taxes on “undeveloped” land in towns much exceeded the rent he got for these fields. Fortunately he could afford to pay them and so preserve an oasis of fresh air and green grass in the midst of houses and mills. …Many little one storey stone cottages also survive in the neighbourhood to testify to Sir Francis’ consideration for his tenants, whom he would not turn out to make way for so-called improvements.” – From the memoir of Sir Francis written by his nephew.
Judging by the odd cattle bone we dig up, we assume the land used to be farmland before it became allotments.
1957 – A thriving allotment community
For a long time, the allotments are home to a thriving community of plot holders. Nearly 50 greenhouses are recorded on the 1957 OS map below, all since vandalised or moved on. Our efforts have since purged a huge amount of smashed up remnants, often from deep beneath the soil.
2000 – Plot holders fight off redevelopment
Plot usage slowly declines between 1980 and 2000 and the site falls into the crosshairs of the council’s Unitary Development Plan for housing. The remaining plot holders band together and ensure this vital urban green space escapes redevelopment. Bradford’s historic 1in12 Club published this article about the episode. The club had their own allotments there from 1995 until around 2010 run by a group called The Peasant’s Collective.
2005 – A site in decline
By 2005, despite being deep into a long, slow period of decline, quite a few plots are still in use. The photo below is part of a wonderful 2005 series by Mark O’Shea (a former Cecil Avenue resident), that provides a valuable snapshot in time of the characters that found and nurtured their own little peaceful haven in the city.
2006 – The seeds of recovery are sown
The Common Garden is formed which is a small, early precursor to HCF. It’s a group project on a handful of allotments created by a volunteer on an EU scheme with Bradford Environmental Education Service (BEES), the oldest environmental group in Bradford. This project winds down after a year but 3 of the plots are retained by a resident of Cecil Avenue who, aside from this, also helps to form a new group called…
2008 – ‘Transition Bradford’ – The group that becomes hcf
The UK Transition Network organises a well attended event at The University of Bradford inspiring the creation of a ‘Transition Bradford’ group. This small group of volunteers runs environmental awareness raising events. The member with plots at Cecil Avenue shows another member round, prompting surprise at how underused the wider site is. The rich potential in the land chimes with their existing vision of creating a community food growing project. The idea takes hold after an open meeting is held at Bradford’s Resource Centre.
Later that year we begin the regeneration by removing rubbish little by little. The full scope of the task is slowly revealed as each cleared patch of brambles exposes burnt out sheds, smashed up greenhouses, allotment junk and fly tipping. A lot of rubbish is buried deep under many years of accumulated soil layers. A couple of particularly bad plots are the result of materials and junk being stored for a landscaping business.
2009 – Plans form
Permaculture designs are created. More rubbish is removed (40 skips to date!), and the first crops are planted. With a few small grants we are able to coordinate activities and run volunteer days.
2010 – A foothold on site
A vandal proof shipping container is installed to provide secure tool storage and a major confidence boost. Largescale volunteer days are run in conjunction with the University of Bradford.
The photo below, taken from a house on Cecil Avenue, shows the neglected wilderness in 2010 before the transformation really gathered pace.
2011 – First major grant and a 15 year lease
The regeneration gathers significant pace when £76,000 is awarded from The Lottery Community Fund’s ‘Local Food’ grant scheme . Horton Community Farm is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, and the council give us a 15 year lease. Large areas are flattened and polytunnels, a fancy compost toilet and another cabin are installed. Four staff are employed. A further £10,000 comes from the Royal Horticulture Society.
2014 – Green therapy
The Social and Therapeutic Garden is built to include accessible raised beds, a small polytunnel and privacy hedging.
2016 – Growing Hope, an orchard and kids sessions!
The Growing Hope programme for asylum seekers and refugees is established with £10,000 from The National Lottery.
An orchard, with a mix of 35 apples, plums, pears and cherries is planted.
We begin running short forest school programmes for children in school holidays which lays the groundwork for our present day weekly sessions for 0-5s.
2018 – A second shipping container
We take delivery of a converted shipping container with windows and pedestrian door to add to our modest collection of cabins. Our intention is to keep it free of junk and use it as workshop space. That doesn’t really play out but it still proves extremely useful!
2019 – The Mindfulness Garden programme begins
A partnership forms with Leeds Mindfulness Co-op and with funding from Bradford Council’s Public Health department we begin our free sessions for over 50s and later LGBTQ+ folk to help improve wellbeing through learning mindfulness and taking part in gentle gardening activities. The programme continues to this day.
2020 – A programme for children
A partnership forms with Grow to School, Better Start Bradford and Better Place Bradford, delivering sessions for children on site and at centres across Bradford. We adapt the programme to Covid lockdowns by switching to providing seed packs for families to grow at home.
2020 – More Forest school fun
We run forest school sessions for children in school holidays, thanks to grants from the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, and Betty’s and Taylors.
2022 – Family area expanded
The Family Area receives clambering boulders, parashelter posts, a sand pit and a new cabin. The pond is completed, and wildlife follows, including ducks from Horton Park, dragonflies and newts. The farm is awarded ‘Garden of Sanctuary’ status for it’s work with asylum seekers and refugees.
2023 – Weekly sessions for children and a successful crowdfunder
£10,000 from the Lottery’s Awards for All scheme means our children’s sessions become weekly! We also launch a Crowdfunding scheme. The kindness of the public and double match funding from the WWF and RSPB raises £12,000 towards our volunteer programme allowing steady improvements in the site including better paths in the nature area and restored raised beds. The money also covers an exciting ride-on mower and hedgetrimmer.
2024 – 3 Years of children’s sessions!
The National Lottery awards us £30,000 a year to allow sessions for 0-5 year olds to run weekly for 3 years! A dry stone wall mud kitchen is constructed from materials salvaged on site including a Belfast sink, and proves very popular with children.
2025 – inclusive Volunteering – Another successful crowdfunder – corporate volunteer days explode
We take advantage of another Crowdfunding scheme matchfunded this time by Aviva Insurance. Once again, the public are incredibly generous and help us meet our target of £8,000 allowing more volunteer opportunities for adults with learning difficulties and sensory impaired folk.
HCF has always run corporate volunteer days for companies with local bases but in 2025 it takes off massively with 14 in total. The large teams motor through a wide range of tasks including building raised beds, maintaining paths, weeding, watering and litter picking. Thanks to Santander who have provided most of these days, along with Liberty Global, Lloyds, Realise Training, the Media Museum and the NHS.
2026 – BIG FUNDING FOR OUR INCLUSIVE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
In early 2026 we are overjoyed when 2 large funding bids are successful to continue our efforts to maintain and develop this thriving project. npower Business Solutions Foundation delivers £30k of funding for our Wednesday volunteer programme of conservation and site maintenance and The National Lottery’s Awards for All programme grants £20k to ensure that our Food Growing Fridays can continue. This is a huge boost to our community of volunteers made up of all abilities who make such a massive difference.
