Brentwood Horticultural Society CIO

A well-tended community allotment in Brentwood stretches into the distance, with neatly divided raised wooden beds filled with vibrant green cabbages, feathery carrot tops, and orderly rows of lettuces. Narrow woodchip paths run between the plots, bordered by terracotta pots and a weathered wooden tool shed in the background. Soft late afternoon sunlight falls from the left, casting gentle shadows from bamboo canes and creating a warm, welcoming glow. Photographed at eye level with sharp focus throughout, the composition follows the rule of thirds, emphasizing structure and productivity. The atmosphere is calm, professional, and purposeful, with photographic realism highlighting textures of soil, foliage, and aged timber.

History

The Society was formed 1872 by Countess Tasker from Middleton Hall, Tasker Lane (now Middleton Hall Road, Brentwood) and was called the Brentwood and District Gardeners and Allotment Society. The first shows were held at Middleton Hall, (now Brentwood Preparatory School).

In 1922, Mrs Lescher presented the Lescher trophy.  Presented for highest points in Vegetables, it was won outright in 1924 by Mr W Rossiter. The trophy was given back to the society as a perpetual trophy.

In 1933, Mr Bayman presented the Professional Gardeners Challenge Cup,  this was also won outright by Mrs Sherry and donated as a perpetual trophy in 1935, and won by Mr Bayman in 1936. Many clubs in the area benefitted from Mr Bayman’s generosity.

Our first recorded Summer Show was in 1949, when the society changed its name to Brentwood Horticultural Society.

There was a break away in 1951 and The Guild of Brentwood Gardeners was formed in 1952.

A Trading store was opened in 1963 and continued until 2018.  Also in 1963 Floral Art was introduced to the show schedule and in 1968 The Floral Art Club was formed and ran as a separate club for several years.

Membership peaked in the late 1960s at 750 members. This was aperiod when flower shows and village shows were very popular.

We started holding monthly meetings in 1970. In 1981, an annual photographic competition was introduced at one of the monthly meetings and was well supported for several years.

In 1982, the management of 8 allotment sites was taken over from Brentwood Council. Hartswood, Park Road, Ongar Road, Bishops Hall, Honeypot Lane, River Road, Middle Road, Crescent Road.

In 1991, the Brentwood Cage Bird Society joined us at our Autumn Shows, which was beneficial to both societies.

From 1986 to 2000 the society exhibited at the Brentwood Town Show, which was an excellent finish to the show season.

In 2017 we decided that, due to diminishing support, we had to cease both monthly meetings and shows. It was becoming increasingly difficult to attract speakers for the meetings, and the shows were being supported by very few members. At this time we also closed our trading hut and negotiated an agreement for our members to use the Trading Hut at the Hutton Horticultural Society. From this point we concentrated on managing the allotments.

In 2025 we became a Charitable Interest Organisation and in 2026 signed leases with Brentwood Council for each of the sites we manage.

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