FOR most allotment holders, a shed is little more than a weathered lean-to for protecting tools and sheltering from rain.
But St Ann's Allotments have gone several steps further than that.
Standing just inside the Ransom Road entrance, a new £350,000 visitor centre, which will provide a meeting space, kitchen facilities and shelter, was officially opened yesterday.
It features a sloping roof but that's where the similarity to a traditional shed ends.
The building has solar panels, a fire and a roof garden among its modern features.
Charles Wesson, of St Ann's, who has had an allotment at the site since 1972, was pleased the building was completed.
"It's about time," said the 73-year-old, who is also a director of STAA, which runs the allotments.
"The allotments were neglected for a long time and no money was spent on them.
"If it wasn't for STAA, the land would have most likely been built on.
"Now we've got this lottery money and things have been done and the place is thriving.
"People come from all over – we've even had people from London come up to have a look.
"It's a beautiful place to be."
Once inside, the centre becomes even more impressive.
A host of interactive displays span the site's history – from its beginning as rough grazing land for animals 600 years ago, through the elegant days of pleasure gardens in the 19th century, to the emergence of the allotment gardens there today.
Mo Cooper, the site's heritage officer, is researching and archiving the allotments' history.
"Visitors will be able to go back in time and discover the allotments through the eyes of the people who used them," she said.
"Rich and poor, young and old, for pleasure or to grow food and make a living – the site has been used by people from all walks of life at different times in its history, so it really is a window into the city's vibrant past."
The new centre is the final part of a £4.5 million project to restore the allotment site.
A secure boundary fence and electric gates with swipe-card security have also been installed as part of the project.
The dirt-track roads have been resurfaced and hedges and trees have been cleared from the site.
A grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nottingham City Council made the work possible.
Allotment holder Beverley Powell, 51, of St Ann's, was delighted to see the visitor centre open yesterday.
"It's fantastic," she said. "The centre will welcome new allotment holders to the site and it's just a wonderful space.
"It's quite small but more than adequate for here. It's brilliant."
Nottingham East MP Chris Leslie officially opened the building. It will be open to the public from Monday, between 10am and 4pm during the week and on selected Saturday mornings.
Patricia Stalvies, 65, of St Ann's, said: "The centre is like the cherry on the cake. It makes it more accessible for everyone – it's amazing."
