The old dairy at Picton Castle, Haverfordwest, is now home to the Lumsden Collection, which was started more than 25 years ago by the late David Lumsden, a stockbroker who dreamed of creating a memorial to British industrial engineering.
The 85 exhibits-which include models manufactured by long-established names such as Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies, plus hand-mowers and animal-drawn ones-had to be transported in a cattle float from the Lumsden family home in Sussex to Picton.
The pièce de résistance is a mighty 42in 1923 Greens-the only working model in existence today. ‘These beautiful examples of classic British engineering were being dumped left, right and centre and my father hated the thought of it,’ explains Mr Lumsden’s son, Nick. Mowers dominated Lumsden family life-at one point, the collection numbered 125. ‘People would ring my father about mowers they’d found in skips. Whenever the collection got to a certain size, another shed had to be built-it was a bit like a shanty town.’
The collection will open on April 18 (01437 751369; www.pictoncastle. co.uk). Enthusiasts might also like to join The Old Lawnmower Club (www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk).
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