Photographer Rankin captures allotment holders

Allotment holder Don Rowe said his Rankin photograph would "go straight on the wall in my living room"

After capturing some of the world's most famous faces, photographer Rankin has taken portraits of allotment holders in Nottingham.

He photographed gardeners and volunteers at St Ann's allotments for an exhibition as part of the Museums at Night festival.

The Grade II-listed allotments are the oldest and largest area of Victoria detached town gardens in the UK.

Rankin's previous portraits include the Queen, Kate Moss and Madonna.

Rankin said: "These 75 acres are in the middle of Nottingham - and everybody I have met is so calm.

"The community spirit is fantastic - and I couldn't be happier that this is where I have got to come."

Rankin spent the afternoon in the allotments and displayed the photographs later that evening

He visited the allotments after The Renewal Trust, a charity which has the lease for the allotments, won a competition to host a famous artist.

Allotment holder Don Rowe, originally from Jamaica, said: "It was beautiful. Brilliant. It was nice and easy. I will put the photograph directly in my living room."

Suzannah Bedford from the The Renewal Trust said they were "thrilled" to have "an artist of Rankin's stature" taking photographs there.

Prints of the photographs will be given to the allotment holders to thank them for their participation

"This is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the hidden beauty of St Ann's Allotments and to gather portraits of some of the many wonderful people who garden there," she said.

The Museums at Night festival involves museums, galleries and heritage sites opening after hours.

The allotments have 670 individual gardens and community projects, including rare plants and 140 species of apple trees and 40 types of pear and a diverse array of wildlife.

The Callow family said the photograph taken of them was "really wonderful"