Makeshift Landscapes

An Introduction to the Plotlands
By Dennis Hardy & Colin Ward
Published by Bandit Press
Book, 72 pages.

"...possession of land acquired new meaning not as a source of material wealth but as a symbolic break with landlords and authority."

A brief examination of 'plotland' developments in early 20th century Britain - rural settlements, hosting DIY buildings, often on marginal, squatted & disputed land.
"Defying even the minimal building codes of the day, a motley of makeshift structures, often on the most unlikely sites...
What was it about these settlements that made them so unconventional, and where were they? Were they peculiar to their time, or did they have roots in earlier periods? Why was it that they flourished when they did, and how far were they a part of broader processes? And, as an instance of small-scale property ownership, how can they be interpreted in terms of conflicting views on property and freedom?"