We've visited the delightful Hill Close Gardens in Warwick several times in the past so when I saw there was an Apple Weekend and Country Fair we decided we would visit again.
The gardens date back to the mid 1840's when the owner of Hill Close divided his land into 32 plots and rented them out. Over time the plots were bought by the people who used them. 16 plots out of the original 32 have survived until the present day.
The gardens were cultivated until after World War 2 when Warwick District Council started buying up the plots so that they could be used for housing development and a local committee was formed to try and save them. Research revealed the importance of the gardens and the development was thankfully cancelled. A trust was set up to save the gardens for the future and restore them.
Many volunteers have worked hard to bring the gardens back into the condition they are in today and they opened to the public in 1998.
The event was quite busy - busier than other events I have attended there and I think I had the very last space in the car park!
Most of the plots have their own little summer house.
Timothy enjoying himself :)
Many of the gardens had short poems on display.
By the tea room there were apples of many varieties on display and for sale.
We had a cup of hot chocolate in the tea room - sadly all the cake had sold out :(
There was a display on one of the walls of hedgehog ceramics made by Carey Moon in 2020.
Wild Arum, Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo Pint berries.
Before leaving we had a look in the glasshouse where there were displays of cacti, apples, pumpkins etc.
There were even quinces. D has been trying to find some of these for a recipe but I don't think these were for sale sadly.
We had a look round the craft fair and D bought E a small felted ornament for her Christmas Tree.
When we got home B had made an apple pie using the last of the apples from the tree in our garden in Herefordshire.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)
10 comments:
What a joy that place must be for the local people and those who own them. It's typical of councils to build on land which is used for allotment gardens they still try to do it today but now people rebel against it and form socialites to stop them.
Thank you Billy Blue Eyes. I am so relieved the gardens were saved they are just charming :)
How wonderful everything looks, I'm glad the gardens were saved. They remind me of St Anne's Allotments in Nottingham which we visited once on one of the Heritage open days. They are Victorian town gardens, many having orchards and summer houses. Shame there wasn't any cake left but at least you had room for some of that tasty looking apple pie when you got home:)
how wonderful so much has been preserved! Have you ever been to St Fagan's and seen the row of miners cottages? October seems to be the month of celebrating apples in the UK
Lovely to see Timothy. This has eased Treasure's stress over his absence.
Thanks so much Rosie. The gardens in Nottingham do sound very similar and lovely too. We had a pack of pre-packed biscuits each to replace the cake!!
Thanks so much Debbie. Sadly, I have never been to St Fagan's but it sounds good :) You are right about October and celebrating apples :) So pleased to hear that Treasure is less stressed over Timothy :)
Looks like a delightful place to visit. I am glad some of the gardens were saved.
Anonymous - Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I am pleased you enjoyed the post.
I really enjoyed that. What lovely little plots. I guess the volunteers get to eat the fruits of their labour - a nice selection of apples there! I read all the poems and noticed the one by Enid Blyton - I read just about all her kids' books when I was young! Thanks goodness these plots were saved.
Thanks so much Mandy and I am so pleased you enjoyed the post! Oh gosh! I loved Enid Blyton too - I think the first book I read myself was The Faraway Tree! I couldn't wait to introduce D and E to her writing when they were little especially at bedtime story time so I got to re-read out loud so many of them again :)
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