The Kipling Gardens in Rottingdean are a delightful sanctuary in the middle of the village, hidden behind warm walls.

They are a reminder of Rottingdean’s most famous resident, Rudyard Kipling, who lived in The Elms nearby at the start of the 20th century.

Yet 30 years ago, the gardens (originally belonging to the house) were derelict, and a planning application was presented for housing on them.

Sir Roderick Jones, the head of Reuters who bought The Elms in 1929, died after 50 years there and his family could not afford to keep them in immaculate condition.

Most villages would have raised a protest if faced with a similar problem but few would have solved it in the way Rottingdean did.

The preservation society bought the gardens for £51,000 thanks to a legacy and, with the co-operation of Brighton Council, preserved them for all time.

It was an appropriate action in the name of a writer who wrote a well-loved poem called The Glory Of The Garden.

And it was typical of a village whose preservation society believes strongly in self-help.

It was not the first time the society had come to the aid of Rottingdean in its hour of need, nor would it be the last.

The village is famous for its wooden smock windmill which has been on Beacon Hill for more than 200 years.

In 1960 the mill fell into disrepair thanks to repeated bombardment by the weather, and it was in need of urgent repairs.

Brighton Council, which had acquired the mill on a long lease in 1928 from the Marquess of Abergavenny, could not afford the cost.

The society saved the mill, spending large sums on it, and has made sure it is open to the public regularly.

It has also continued to finance the upkeep, including major work such as renewing the sweeps.

The society also looks after The Grange, one of the most historic buildings in the village, and keeps it open as a museum. One room is a memorial to Kipling and another is used for art shows and exhibitions.

The ground floor is used as a library which was saved from closure in 1993 when the society leased The Grange from Brighton Council.

Its most famous resident was the artist Sir William Nicholson, who lived there a century ago and painted many views of the surrounding countryside.

The society also put a plaque on Challoners Cottages in 2010 to commemorate the Copper family, folk singers in the area for more than 500 years.

On a more minor but still vital matter, the society financed the local loos when they too were threatened with closure and kept them open.

Founded in 1937, the society was also a ratepayers’ association following the takeover of the village by Brighton Council.

Thirty years later when the village decided to start its own parish council, the society debated whether it should disband.

Most residents and visitors in this pretty but vulnerable village will be glad it decided to keep going.