Allotments and Community Gardens in Gosforth
Five allotment sites, a beekeeping association, and growing demand. Here's how to get a plot in Gosforth.
Interest in allotments has surged since the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, and Gosforth's five sites are no exception. Waiting lists are long, but plots do come up — and there are other ways to get growing if you can't wait. Here's the guide.
Allotment Sites in Gosforth
[Coxlodge Allotments](https://coxlodgeallotments.wixsite.com/website) on Coxlodge Road, NE3 3UZ, is the largest Gosforth site with over 100 plots. Self-managed by a committee of volunteers, with an on-site shop selling compost, seeds, and fertiliser (non-plot-holders can become Shop Associates for £1/year). Currently no available plots. Email Coxlodge.Allotments@gmail.com to join the waiting list.
Beaumont Terrace Allotments on Christon Road, NE3 1XH.
Three Mile Allotments on Great North Road, NE3 2DS.
Ridgewood Crescent Allotments at Ridgewood Crescent, NE3 1SQ.
Salters Lane Allotments at Salters Lane, NE3 5BJ — on the northern edge of Gosforth near Newcastle Great Park.
All five sites are managed through the Newcastle Allotment Working Group (NAWG). Apply via their website — you can specify which sites you'd prefer and apply to multiple simultaneously. Newcastle has over 60 allotment sites in total.
How to Apply
Submit an application at newcastleallotments.co.uk. The relevant association will contact you when a plot becomes available. You can apply to as many sites as you like.
Waiting times vary by site and are not published centrally. Demand has risen sharply since Covid. No official city-wide figure is available — expect months to years depending on the site.
Plot sizes: Most new tenants are offered a half plot (~125 sq m / 5 rods) given demand. This is large enough to grow a wide range of vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Annual rent is typically around £120/year plus a public liability insurance contribution, though rates vary by association.
Management note: Allotments transferred back from Urban Green Newcastle to Newcastle City Council direct management on 28 February 2025.
What People Grow
The usual suspects: potatoes, onions, garlic, brassicas, courgettes, runner beans, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes (in polytunnels), and soft fruit — raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries. Some plots have fruit trees and greenhouses. Gosforth's NE3 microclimate is surprisingly mild for growing thanks to the urban heat island effect.
Can't Get a Plot?
NHSN Seed and Plant Swap — the Natural History Society of Northumbria runs a Seed and Plant Swap Social on the Ouseburn Way where participants swap vegetable seeds, garden plants, cuttings, and seedlings. Free to attend.
Newcastle Allotment and Garden Festival — held at Exhibition Park (first staged September 2024, nearly 4,000 visitors). A growing annual event for gardeners across the city.
Beekeeping
The Newcastle and District Beekeepers Association (founded 1922, ~150 members) runs monthly meetings on the second Tuesday at 7pm, plus a training apiary at Longbenton with practical sessions from April to September. Beginners' courses run in spring. Contact newcastle.beekeepers@gmail.com.
Know a community growing project in Gosforth we should feature? Get in touch via our [contact page](/contact).