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The Hill Close Gardens lie behind the houses of Linen Street in Warwick. They are rare survivals of Victorian hedged gardens, just outside the built-up area. They were used and enjoyed by people who lived over their businesses in the town centre and so had little garden around their homes.
The owners would come here after business or on Sundays to relax, enjoy their lawns and flower beds, make tea or a meal on the fire or gas stove, and cultivate their fruit and vegetables.
Most groups of gardens were swept away by later development; the Hill Close Gardens themselves were acquired by Warwick District Council with the intention of building on them. However, their historical importance was recognised just in time and four of the pretty summer houses are now listed buildings, and the gardens have been registered as of national importance.
Visit the gardens
The gardens are open between the first weekend in April and the last weekend in October on Saturdays and Bank Holidays from 11am and 5pm and on Fridays and Sundays from 2pm to 5pm. Group visits can be arranged for any date and time. Visit the Hill Close Gardens Trust website to find out more.
- Find out how the gardens were saved from destruction
- Enjoy the 16 individual plots
- Discover unusual varieties of fruit and vegetables from Victorian times
- Check the records to see if your relations once gardened there
- Relax with tea and homemade cakes in the Hill Close Centre
Getting there
- By car - Leave the M40 and junction 15 and follow the signs for the racecourse. Pass through the main racecourse gate of Friars Street and turn right where you will see the car park. There is turning space for coaches.
- By foot - From Market Square go down Market Street and across Bowling Green Street. Market Street is also the stop for visitors using the bus. Follow signs between Westgate School and Martinique Square to the upper gate of the gardens.
- By train - From Warwick station it is a 20 minute walk through Priory Park and past St Mary's Church to Market Square. Then follow the route above.
Map of the area
Contact details
The Centre Manager
Hill Close Gardens Trust
Bread and Meat Close
Warwick CV34 6HF
Telephone No: 01926 493339
Email: maggie.curtis@hillclosegardens.entadsl.com
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