Kingston Lacy Estate allotments given £100k by lottery
A project to create 118 community allotments on the Kingston Lacy Estate in Dorset has been awarded £102,000 by the Big Lottery Fund.
Growing Spaces is the only National Trust project to receive a grant from the fund's Local Food scheme.
In addition the project has received £30,000 from Sowing Seeds, a local action group.
The money will be used to create access tracks, paths and fencing for the six-acre site.
The site is the estate's former kitchen garden.
"We'll be creating 40 allotments for local people, with the rest of the plots available for schools and community groups and some for people referred through housing associations," said project manager Andrew Hunt.
Old garages will be made into a kitchen and rest room and an area will be set aside for raised beds.
A polytunnel will be used as an outdoor classroom and an orchard and pond are planned for the future.
Mr Hunt added: "This Growing Spaces project is all about giving people the chance to try growing their own food, whilst getting out into the fresh air and meeting other like-minded people growing good, healthy, local produce."
Fundraising to pay for the running costs of Growing Spaces is under way.
The project also welcomes donations of tools, gardening equipment and seeds.
The allotments will open in May.