The National Trust has created more than 300 new allotment plots in the first year of its campaign to create one thousand plots for local communities to grow their own fruit and veg. 

The initiative was launched exactly one year ago, in partnership with the Landshare website – in response to demand for growing spaces for people to grow their own fruit and vegetables, meet like-minded people and to simply get some fresh air and exercise. 

The allotments have been built in restored kitchen gardens, on agricultural land owned by the Trust or on vacant land close to our properties. 

Over the last 12 months 26 new growing spaces have been created, including sites at Minnowburn in Northern Ireland and Wembury in Devon. 

It is estimated that these new growing spaces could produce up to around 850,000 lettuces per year or 16,000 sacks of potatoes. 

Amrita Huggins (27) is one of the 25 allotment holders at Minnowburn. She says: "Working on the allotment has been a fantastic opportunity to develop my gardening skills. 

"I've never had the chance to work on my own allotment before and it has been great to be with other beginners to experiment with different crops and growing techniques, and to learn from each other. 

"I’ve loved the community side of the allotment as much as growing my own vegetables and have successfully harvested Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, peas, beans, broccoli and all kinds of salad veg over the past year."

John Pitcher (69) tends an allotment at Wembury where 40 sites were built last spring. He says: "I’ve really enjoyed having my plot and it’s a great way to escape the office and get some peace and quiet. At the same time it’s also really sociable and people always stop and chat as they pass by. 

"As I live quite near the site I’m over there once or twice a week tending to my plot. I’ve already managed to grow a real variety of crops; the root vegetables in particular have done really well."

Jenny Sansom, the National Trust’s local food coordinator, says: "We have had a tremendous response to this campaign which has captured the imagination of thousands of people. 

"Volunteers have been vital to our efforts with many helping us to clear and create new sites. There is a real mix of people involved with experienced gardeners and novices sharing information. There is a real community spirit at each of the sites and people have definitely enjoyed the fruits of their labour. 

"More and more of our properties are getting involved with the campaign and we are anticipating 500 new allotments will be established during 2010 to include sites at Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge and Lytes Cary in Somerset."

Interested would-be gardeners can find out about new growing spaces available throughout the UK on the Landshare website, as well as those being created by the National Trust. The website, set up by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, acts as a ‘match-making’ database of keen growers and those who have land available. 

The Trust is also posting updates via a blog as and when new sites become available. The number of allotment sites being created varies per region, but the long-term goal of the Trust is to ensure every region creates growing spaces which can go onto Landshare.