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There are three allotment gardens within the parish of Somercotes, which are run by individual Allotment Associations.

1. Birchwood Lane Allotments
2. Leabrooks Allotments
3. Sleetmoor Lane Allotments

1. Birchwood Lane Allotments: These allotments date back many years and are near to the site of the Gin Pit which was sunk around 1847 by John Coupland. The land was owned for some years by Sir Charles Seely, proprietor of the Babbington Coal Company and owner of Birchwood Colliery, until the 1930s when it was sold along with all of the property and land interests to the Sheepbridge Coal & Iron Co. of Chesterfield. On 1 October 1942 Sheepbridge Iron & Coal Co. put up for auction all of the property and land they had purchased, which was split into many different lots. Alfreton Urban District Council purchased the lot no.14 which was shown on an auction pre-sale map and described as “allotment gardens”. The area of land purchased was 6.198 acres, which constituted the original allotments. The ownership of the allotment gardens was transferred to Somercotes Parish Council in 1990 and is rented and run by the Birchwood Lane Allotment Association for the benefit of its members.

2. Leabrooks Allotments: The Leabrooks allotments are situated on Bridle Lane, Leabrooks. They are located on a field once known as Thistley Close, and owned in the early 1800’s by John Bakewell, his wife Frances and Catherine & Ann Downing. They owned several pieces of land in the area at that time. In the early 1890’s land was purchased by Alfreton Urban District Council at Leabrooks for a cemetery, which included most of Thistley Close. The cemetery was laid out on adjacent land and opened in 1895, with Thistley Close [to be used as a possible future cemetery extension] let as grazing land. In his book “The History of Alfreton”, Reginald Johnson refers to these fields as the “Drunken Closes”, [due to the fact that they easily became waterlogged], but no other reference to this name has been found.

By the early 1900’s the tenant for the grazing land was Taylor & Parkin Builders, of Leabrooks, who grazed their workhorses on the land. The Leabrooks Allotment Holders Association seems to have been formed in 1917, and when looking for a suitable site to establish an allotment asked the Alfreton Urban District Council if they would allow the use of the land next to the Leabrooks Cemetery. Whist the Council was sympathetic, especially considering the urgent need for home grown produce during the First World War, the land had been rented for many years to Taylor & Parkin. The request of the Leabrooks Allotment Holders Association was put to a council meeting, when Mr. William Taylor, of Taylor & Parkin was present. The exchange of views was recorded in the Belper News, published on 7 December 1917: “The Lea Brooks New Allotment Association applied to the Council for land for allotments, and suggested two fields belonging to the Council near Lea Brooks Cemetery and in the occupation of Messrs. Taylor and Parkin. They had 44 applicants and each garden would do greater service for the country than in using them for grazing land for horses. Mr. Taylor said there would be difficulties of a road, and a new road 250 yards long would be required. Mr. Hill [a Councillor] asked about the tenants, because in catering for gardeners they must not do an injustice to the tenants. Mr F. Lee [a councillor]: ‘Always the same cry when you want allotments’. Mr Hill: ‘I have no objection to any amount of land being used for allotments if they are wanted, but you cannot expect men to give up land without compensation’. The Chairman said they must encourage the allotment movement and acquire as much land as was required. The matter was referred to the General Purposes Committee”.  The newspaper report refers to two fields belonging to the Council. It is not known if Thistley Close was at some point divided, or if other adjacent land was included.

A further Council meeting was held, reported in the The Derby Courier on 5 January 1918: “A letter was read from the Leabrooks Allotment Holders Association with respect of the taking over of the field near the Leabrooks Cemetery in the occupation of Messrs. Taylor and Parkin. Mr. Taylor said he had no wish to stand in the way of the men having allotments providing the Association were to pay compensation and valuation. He was afraid, however, that the Council would have a lot of gardens on their hands after the war. Mr. Hill: ‘I think Messrs. Taylor and Parkin have shown a good spirit in agreeing to give up this land for allotment purposes. I should suggest a year’s rent as compensation’. A deputation from the Allotment association waited on the Council and expressed their willingness to pay rent and also compensation. This was confirmed later in the meeting”.

This agreement seems to have been an end to the discussion and the Leabrooks Allotment Holders Association took over the land in 1918. Alfreton Urban District Council continued its association with the allotments until 1974, when the council was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972. It is now owned by the Somercotes Parish Council.

3. Sleetmoor Lane Allotments: These were known as the “Flash Garden Allotments” but have been renamed the “Sleetmoor Lane Allotments”. Not much is known about the history of these allotments, but an obituary for Mr. Robert Hague, who resided at Leabrooks Road, Somercotes was published in the Ripley & Heanor News on 26 May 1939 which read in part: “…He was an ardent gardener and worked two gardens in the Flash Garden Allotments, Sleetmoor Lane, for over 40 years…” This implies that the allotments date from the late 1890’s.

At least part of the site was reclaimed as an allotment during a period covering 2010-2013 and was brought back into use. Although owned by Somercotes Parish Council, it is run by an Allotment Association.