Ever since 1947 it was intended that the gardens would have houses built on them. As time passed, the gardeners became older, and the plots less well cultivated. In the 1980's the Council bought most of them to provide social housing.

By 1993 the gardens had become derelict: the buildings were in need of extensive repair, greenhouses and frames were wrecked and the paths and hedges were hidden by dense growth. They had become a target for fly-tippers who left mountains of building rubbish amongst the rotting remains of improvised garden structures.

They were secret gardens waiting to be re-discovered.

Then the local residents became concerned that the impending development would engulf more than simply a derelict allotment site. They enlisted the help of garden historians in persuading the authorities that they should be saved.

English Heritage decided that four of the summer houses should be listed buildings (Grade II) and, after much thought, that the gardens themselves were of exceptional national importance, registered as Grade II*

The Council then agreed not to develop the site, and started the process which set up a Trust to restore them.

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