The Barnes Horticultural and Allotment Society (BHAS) looks after five allotment sites located in the East Sheen area of the Borough of Richmond Upon Thames.

In order to apply for an allotment at one of these five sites, you must be a resident within the borough.  Please note out of borough applications are not accepted.

How do I get an allotment in East Sheen?

All allotment applications must be made through the Richmond Council website and all the site wait lists are managed by the Richmond Council Allotment Officer.  When you apply, you can choose three sites out of the 24 allotment sites located within the Borough of Richmond Upon Thames.  You can select the East Sheen sites in your application.

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Currently, a number of the council waiting lists have been closed due to the wait time exceeding 5 years. This includes all five East Sheen allotments looked after by BHAS.  Waiting lists will reopen when the wait time is estimated to be less than 5 years.  

Note: Please ensure your personal details are kept up to date, including phone numbers and email addresses, with the council.  If the council cannot contact you, you may lose your place on the wait list.

What allotment sites does BHAS represent?

There are five allotment sites in East Sheen looked after by East Sheen allotments (BHAS).

  1. The Priory allotment
    Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, SW14 8ED
  2. Hertford Avenue allotment
    Hertford Avenue, East Sheen, SW14 8RE
  3. The Triangle allotment
    Palewell Park, East Sheen, SW14 8JG
  4. Palewell Pavilion allotment (aka Palewell Fields)
    Palewell Park, East Sheen, SW14 8RE
  5. Palewell Park allotment
    Hertford Avenue, East Sheen, SW14 8JJ
  • Priory, Hertford Avenue and Triangle sites all run along Hertford Avenue from the Upper Richmond Road West, to the Pitch and Putt course  on Palewell Common. They are bordered by Beverley Brook and Hertford Avenue.
  • Palewell Pavilion is on the edge of Palewell Common.
  • Palewell Park lies between the top of East Sheen Avenue, a road called Palewell Park and Vicarage Road.

How many plots are on each allotment site?

  • The Priory – 87 plots
  • Hertford Avenue – 54 plots
  • The Triangle – 37 plots
  • Palewell Pavilion (aka Palewell Fields) – 22 plots
  • Palewell Park – 30 plots

Total: 230 plots

What are the current wait times for these sites?

(last updated October 2020)

Currently, a number of the council waiting lists have been closed due to the wait time exceeding 5 years. This includes all five East Sheen allotments looked after by BHAS. Waiting lists will reopen when the wait time is estimated to be less than 5 years.  

The council prepared a spreadsheet of the waitlist as of August 2019.  This shows the number of plots on each site, the number of new plot holders starting over the past three years, the date of application for the next person to be contacted when a plot is available, and the total number of applicants waiting for each site. 

What happens when my name gets to the top of the waiting list?

You will receive a call from the Richmond Council Allotment Officer to confirm if you still wish for an allotment and, if you do, your name will be passed to the appropriate allotment site representative.

If the available plot is in an East Sheen allotments, the BHAS site representative will contact you to arrange a viewing.  Once you view the plot, you can decide on its suitability for you.

What do I need to do once I am offered an allotment?

You will need to:

Once those are done and you receive your keys, happy gardening!

How much time does it take per week to work an allotment?

Currently, large allotments are being split to help reduce waitlist times.  The size offered to you will likely be a 1/2 plot (sizes vary), which can take quite a bit of hard work to get into shape (especially if it’s overgrown and neglected.  Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for available plots to be overgrown and neglected.)

Initial prep for planting can take many, many weeks of back-breaking digging, cutting, and clearing of the plot.

After it’s in shape, an allotment is a major time commitment and a lot of consistent, hard work.  Once the plot is in shape, you can expect to spend anywhere from 6-10 hours a week at the site (during the summer/peak growing season) and 2-4 hours (during the winter).

During the growing season and especially hot weather, it may be necessary to be at the allotment everyday or every other day.

Want to know more?

Please visit our FAQs or visit our monthly inspiration section for ideas on what to grow or cook.