Museum of Gardening

About the museum

The Museum of Gardening is dedicated to Edwin Beard Budding (1795 to 1846), who is credited with inventing the lawn mower in 1830. It is run by the Budding Foundation, a local charity that supports young people in need, and it is based in the South Downs Heritage Centre at Tates garden centre in Hassocks, West Sussex.

The collection shows how gardens and lawns have been made and kept. It includes lawn mowers from the 1860s to the 1980s, among them rare and unique machines, and more than 300 other horticultural tools and items of ephemera for cultivation, pruning and irrigation. The curator, Clive Gravett, has also written a book on the history of the lawn mower. The museum has appeared on television programmes about gardening and lawn history.

Highlights

• Lawn mowers from the 1860s to the 1980s, including rare machines
• Over 300 horticultural tools and items of ephemera
• Tools for cultivation, pruning and irrigation
• Free entry in an oak-framed barn with a café and craft workshops

Permanent exhibitions

• Lawn mower collection – Lawn mowers from the 1860s to the 1980s, including rare and unique machines, with the story of Edwin Budding's invention.
• Garden tools and ephemera – More than 300 tools and items of ephemera for cultivating, pruning and watering gardens.

Founded

2016

Operated by

The Budding Foundation

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free for all visitors. Donations to the Budding Foundation are welcome.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Floors are flat and level. Wheelchairs can be borrowed on request, subject to availability, and staff can help with items displayed at height. Disabled toilets are available, and disabled parking and a coach set-down are on flat tarmac or grass close to the main entrance. Service dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Baby changing facilities are available on site.

Getting there & parking

The museum is inside the South Downs Heritage Centre at South Downs Nurseries, Brighton Road, Hassocks.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant

The Barn Coffee Shop and Restaurant serves meals, snacks and afternoon tea, with indoor and outdoor seating, and caters for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets. The Heritage Centre also has a Sussex Food Hall.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit