History
Alan Bloom (1906–2005), a renowned horticulturist, purchased Bressingham Hall and 200 acres in 1946, establishing Blooms nursery. In the 1950s, he developed the innovative Dell Garden, featuring island beds of perennials, which opened around 1962. A steam enthusiast, Bloom began collecting traction engines and steam rollers in the 1960s, buying his first—Bertha—in 1961, and opened his collection to the public, forming the nucleus of the Steam Museum.