Information for record number MWA7040:
Hill Close Pleasure Gardens, Linen Street, Warwick

Summary	A group of mid 19th century detached urban pleasure gardens which retain several 19th century summerhouses.

What Is It?
Type:	Garden, Allotment, Summerhouse
Period:	Modern (1845 AD - 2050 AD)

Where Is It?
Parish:	Warwick
District:	Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference:	SP 27 64
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)

Level of Protection	National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: ) Registered Park or Garden (Grade: II*) Sites & Monuments Record

Picture(s) attached
Description
Source Number
1 The close was first divided around 1846, by 1851 the eastern portion had been divided up with a service lane and plots on either side. By 1866 the divisions into gardens had been completed. In the earlier 20th century plots on the south side of Linen Street, St Pauls Close and St Pauls Terrace were built on, stables were built on part of the garden more recently. During the 1920s even though growing produce was more important, there was still an important leisure function for the gardens. The site is considerably overgrown, however at least seven summer houses survive in varying stages of decay. Most are brick built with tile roofs; wooden panelling survives internally in some. Several mature fruit trees survive, some of which may be those planted by around 1866. 2 5Hill Close gardens is a 1.25 heactre site which comprises nineteen individual plots containing an average of 500 square metres which are now divided by hedges, brick walls and iron railings. The eastern plots which remain in separate ownership are enclosed to the north by a property in St Paul's Terrace, and to the south by the race course stables. To the east, these plots are today enclosed by temporary fences which separate them from the Westgate Hotel. ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES The site is today approached from a service lane which leads 50m south from Linen Street at a point 30m east of its junction with St Paul's Terrace to reach a pair of wide, late 20th century green-painted metal gates. gardenS The garden plots are arranged in five blocks of various length which run from north to south. Service lanes or paths separate the three western blocks, while a further service lane runs between the two most easterly blocks. Plots in the second and third blocks from the east share a common boundary, and are not separated by a path. Late 20th century clearance of undergrowth on the site has revealed many of the boundary hedges which enclosed the gardens, together with a 19th century brick wall to the east of plot 25 and 19th century spiked iron railings to the north of plot 12. The gardens retain a collection of mature standard fruit trees, some of which are of 19th century origin. clearance has revealed the late 19th century path layout in some gardens, while elsewhere the late 19th century path layout is in the process of reinstatement. The southern half of plot 19, adjacent to the southern boundary of the site, is today used as a nursery area, with the remains of a late 19th or early 20th century range of brick and timber glasshouses and frames surviving on the west side of the plot. Some 10m south-west of the western entrance to the site from Linen Street, a mid 20th century metal and timber shed is today used as a garden office, while further mid and late 20th century sheds stand on plots 23 and 24 which have remained in continuous cultivation to the present day. Eight brick-built summerhouses of various designs survive on the site. Of these, that on plot 18 dates from before 1851, and four on plots 7, 17, 19 and 25 from before 1866. Two further late 19th century summerhouses are shown on the 1886 OS map, while a further building was constructed circa 1900. All the summerhouses occupy sites at the eastern end of their plot, so exploiting views across the race course and Common. The summerhouses were decorative buildings, equipped variously with fireplaces, stoves, gas lights, and, in one case, a 'patent earth commode'. The remains of two other buildings survive comprising a mid 19th century brick bothy and a late 19th or early 20th century brick-built pig-sty on plot 16. Two 19th century inventories show that the Hill Close gardens had a recreational as well as a productive role, and this continued into the 1920s, although during the early 20th century the growing of vegetables had increased in importance. This process was encouraged by the Dig for Victory campaign during the Second World War, and austerity during the 1940s and early 1950s. Today the gardens as revealed through late 20th century clearance and reclamation closely reflect the layout shown on the 1886 OS map with summerhouses of various designs, mature fruit trees, complex path systems and Terraces. 3 A Tuscan-style sandstone column base was recorded in a spread of stone rubble close to the garden entrance in June 2006. 4 Lovie reports presence of bowling green. Two earlierst pavilions hesagonal in plan; site in divided ownership and poor condition at the time of his report (1996/7). He comments that there is a move to form a residents' group to conserve the site and buildings.
Sources
Source No: 1 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Hill Close Gardens, Linen Street. Preliminary Report Author/originator: Warwickshire Gardens Trust Date: 1993 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 2 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England Author/originator: English Heritage Date: 1994 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 4 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Warwickshire Register Review Data Tables (Warwick) Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan Date: 1997 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 5 Source Type: Statuatory List Title: National Heritage List for England Author/originator: Historic England Date: Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 3 Source Type: Serial Title: WMA (West Midlands Archaeology) Vol 49 Author/originator: CBA West Midlands Date: 2006 Page Number: Volume/Sheet: 39     Source No: 3 Source Type: Site Visit Title: Hill Close Gardens, off Linen Street, Warwick Author/originator: C Coutts Date: 2006 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:

Images:
	Hill Close Pleasure Gardens, Linen Street, Warwick Copyright: Warwickshire County Council Date: 2000
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