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Similar The Mill Garden, Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum, St John's House Museum, Lord Leycester Hospital, Collegiate Church of St Mary | ||
Hill Close Gardens is a group of 18 surviving Victorian detached gardens on a hillside in Warwick, Warwickshire, England. These were set up in the 19th century on a hillside overlooking Warwick Racecourse to provide gardens for owners of townhouses which did not have their own gardens. They were generally owned staying in families for generations, although some were rented. Each was enclosed by either a wall or hedge, complete with lockable gate to ensure privacy.
Many of them had summer houses built so the family could spend the entire day in the garden, whatever the weather.
They fell into disuse in the 20th century with only one or two remaining in use after WWII.
In the 1950s the local council (Warwick District Council) started buying up the plots with a plan to re-develop the hillside and in the 1960s it was designated for social housing.
Planning permission was granted in the 1980s and then subsequently lapsed although some building was completed.
In 1994, 4 of the summer houses were 'listed' as being of historical interest and in 2000 a Trust was formed to restore the gardens to their Victorian status.
The gardens opened to the public at Easter 2007 and have been operated by the Trust since.