Theearliest documented use of the word allotment was in 1574, but its associationwith a share of land made available to an individual dates from 1629.  It was following the many Enclosure Acts ofthe 18^th and 19^th centuries that led the way to thousandsof Lincoln residents having cultivated an allotment plot.  In wartime, their contributions to feedingthe city have been valued.  In peacetime,allotments sites have thrived and declined with changing lifestyles.  This study explores the origins of Lincoln'sallotment plots and provides a glimpse of social trends which prompted thedevelopment, at at times led to the closure, of the city's many differentallotment sites past and present.