Bevendean History Project
Stanmer Nursery History
Stanmer
Nursery, which was located within the 18th-century walled garden of the
Stanmer Estate near Brighton, was established in 1953 (formally opened
in 1957) to serve the city’s parks department.
The nursery site was originally the walled kitchen garden of the Stanmer Estate, designed by Nicholas Dubois in the 1720s to supply the Pelham family (the Earls of Chichester) with fruit and vegetables.
A flint and brick gardener's cottage was built against the north wall, with potting sheds and offices to the east, supporting the estate's self-sufficiency for over 200 years.
Following the Brighton Corporation's purchase of the estate in 1947, the nursery was moved to the walled garden from the Lewes Road waterworks. From the 1950s, the nursery became a "hidden gem" that produced herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees used for flower beds and parks across the entire city.
In 1952, the Palm House was built to house tropical plants. Designed with a Victorian look by Hartleys, it is one of only three surviving examples of its kind in England.
The Stanmer Nurseries were officially opened by the Mayor Councillor LEWIS C. COHEN J.P. on the 7th May, 1957.
While primarily a working site for the Parks and Recreation Department, parts of the nursery were later opened for plant sales to the public.
The greenhouses at Stanmer Nurseries in 1957 at the time of the official opening. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
It previously operated as a production nursery producing 70,000 trees/shrubs annually.
The Palm House in 1957. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Part of the Nursery Gardens where bushes and trees are brought on to plant out around the town. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Planting while riding behind a tractor. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Inside one of the large greenhouses. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Outside the north side of the walled garden. This area was designed as part of the pleasure gardens in Stanmer Park. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Today the former lawned area is very overgrown.
A £4 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside council and South Downs National Park funding, launched a major restoration of the walled garden and nursery in 2019.
The walled garden was redevelopment into One Garden Brighton, a public horticultural space now managed by Plumpton College in 2021. The restored public walled garden features educational, community, and ornamental spaces that maintain the site's horticultural roots was opened on 12 May 2021. One Garden Brighton was designed by landscape architect Dominic Cole (known for his work on the Eden Project).
The site is now leased to Plumpton College, serving as their horticultural campus and featuring a shop, café, and themed public gardens.
The palm house is now being converted for use as the Sussex Butterfly Gardens and will open in May 2026.
More on the history of Stanmer Nursery
The nursery site was originally the walled kitchen garden of the Stanmer Estate, designed by Nicholas Dubois in the 1720s to supply the Pelham family (the Earls of Chichester) with fruit and vegetables.
A flint and brick gardener's cottage was built against the north wall, with potting sheds and offices to the east, supporting the estate's self-sufficiency for over 200 years.
Following the Brighton Corporation's purchase of the estate in 1947, the nursery was moved to the walled garden from the Lewes Road waterworks. From the 1950s, the nursery became a "hidden gem" that produced herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees used for flower beds and parks across the entire city.
In 1952, the Palm House was built to house tropical plants. Designed with a Victorian look by Hartleys, it is one of only three surviving examples of its kind in England.
The Stanmer Nurseries were officially opened by the Mayor Councillor LEWIS C. COHEN J.P. on the 7th May, 1957.
While primarily a working site for the Parks and Recreation Department, parts of the nursery were later opened for plant sales to the public.
The greenhouses at Stanmer Nurseries in 1957 at the time of the official opening. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
It previously operated as a production nursery producing 70,000 trees/shrubs annually.
The Palm House in 1957. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Part of the Nursery Gardens where bushes and trees are brought on to plant out around the town. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Planting while riding behind a tractor. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Inside one of the large greenhouses. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Outside the north side of the walled garden. This area was designed as part of the pleasure gardens in Stanmer Park. Keep Reference: BHTMP000043
Today the former lawned area is very overgrown.
A £4 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside council and South Downs National Park funding, launched a major restoration of the walled garden and nursery in 2019.
The walled garden was redevelopment into One Garden Brighton, a public horticultural space now managed by Plumpton College in 2021. The restored public walled garden features educational, community, and ornamental spaces that maintain the site's horticultural roots was opened on 12 May 2021. One Garden Brighton was designed by landscape architect Dominic Cole (known for his work on the Eden Project).
The site is now leased to Plumpton College, serving as their horticultural campus and featuring a shop, café, and themed public gardens.
The palm house is now being converted for use as the Sussex Butterfly Gardens and will open in May 2026.
More on the history of Stanmer Nursery
