Allotments not only provide us humans with a place to grow our own organic fruit and vegetables, but a calm environment to wind down from a busy day living in the hustle and bustle of the city. They also give nature a fighting chance in the built up concrete jungle providing a habitat for all manner of animals, including the beautiful red fox.

Urban allotments are often a lot quieter than the surrounding noisy streets packed full of humans going about their daily routines, with traffic whizzing by. Many are locked so only plot holders can enter and during the night they will mostly devoid of human activity, so foxes will mostly have the place to themselves. The relatively quiet surroundings give foxes a peaceful place to rest, hunt and raise a family.

It’s not all easy for the urban foxes living in these areas, as they are sought after locations between foxes. Maintaining such a territory takes a dominant dog fox. During the mating season rival males will fight for the best places to raise the next generation and only the strongest will secure the best territories. Once dominance has been asserted a family of foxes will have a safer place to raise a litter of cubs with many options when it comes to choosing a den site.

Allotments also provide somewhere to play with other members of their family or skulk. This is something vital for developing young foxes preparing for life without the care and food supply from their dedicated parents. They are often situated in or near housing estates, so foxes can also scavenge from our leftovers while we’re tucked up in bed.

If you speak to people who are fortunate enough to have a plot in an allotment, they will likely tell you about the (sometimes unexpected) lift to their mental health that comes with regular visits. Many of these benefits will of course be attributed to the process of growing their own food and the physical activity involved, but being surrounded by nature must also be a great boost. Hearing the birds sing, the smell of the trees in the spring and of course seeing a fox trot past you will surely be a highlight to any plot holders day.