Closed UK Zoos -what became of their sites?

[Nanook]

I will start this off by mentioning the ones I know of and maybe other zoochatters can add what they know ? ;

Southport Zoo - now a paint-balling site, zoo enclosures still there but derelict.
Glasgow Zoo - a very derelict site.
Riber Castle - falling into disrepair and overgrown but enclosures still there.
Gatwick Zoo - now a housing development.
Haigh Hall - overgrown site, most of the enclosures were demolished.
Poole Park Zoo- site reverted to grass, no signs left that it ever existed.
Southampton Zoo - now the Hawthorns Nature Centre.
Knaresborough Zoo - now a centre for the blind.
Hotham Park - derelict and overgrown site.
Cricket St Thomas - owned by Warner Hotels, the last animals there were Lemurs, now all gone ??
Anyone know what became of the sites of ; the old Cromer Zoo, Bronte Zoo, Guilsborough Grange, Kilverstone, Mole Hall, and any others I can`t think of at the moment!

 

[IanRRobinson]

One very obvious one - Windsor Safari Park is now LEGOLAND. Bizarrely, on a visit to the latter with my kids three years ago, I remembered the layout of the entrance gates being just as I remembered them from visiting the Safari Park in 1972.

 

[Nanook]

One very obvious one - Windsor Safari Park is now LEGOLAND. Bizarrely, on a visit to the latter with my kids three years ago, I remembered the layout of the entrance gates being just as I remembered them from visiting the Safari Park in 1972.

Ah yes, I forgot that one. When I went last they had an entrance at the top end, roughly just above where the "white house" is. I didn`t realise you could still come in at the "bottom end" , is that still off of the main road then, where the original entrance for the Safari Park main entrance was ?
I used to visit a lot in the old Safari Park days.

 

[Pacu]

The Hotham Park Zoo site has now been cleared and re-opened as parkland with a wildlife area and extension to the minature railway. It had been derelict and closed off for a number of years. When researching my book, I walked the site with old maps and plans and it is relatively straight forward to locate some of the enclosure sites. Some of the rubble was covered over with earth and the height of the ground is a clue. In other places there are water access points. The 'lake' is largely unchanged and is now the wildlife area but I have only ever seen ducks frogs and rats there.

 

[devilfish]

Coventry Zoo's site is now a gym/racquets club (I was a member there for eight years )

 

[Nanook]

The Hotham Park Zoo site has now been cleared and re-opened as parkland with a wildlife area and extension to the minature railway. It had been derelict and closed off for a number of years. When researching my book, I walked the site with old maps and plans and it is relatively straight forward to locate some of the enclosure sites. Some of the rubble was covered over with earth and the height of the ground is a clue. In other places there are water access points. The 'lake' is largely unchanged and is now the wildlife area but I have only ever seen ducks frogs and rats there.

Thanks Pacu, I knew you would know!
I find it quite sad and rather eerie wandering around an ex-zoo site, but fascinating in its own way too.

 

[Nanook]

Coventry Zoo's site is now a gym/racquets club (I was a member there for eight years )

Many thanks for that, another place I never got the chance to visit!

 

[Nanook]

One of my favourite former zoo sites has to be the incredible old Belfast Belle Vue Zoo site adjacent to the present Belfast Zoo of course.
I also like the idea that the site has been kept as it was pretty-much. Obviously the enclosures have since degraded further as time has passed and the natural foliage has taken over in some places but it is still a very interesting place to wander around especially for those that are interested in zoo history.

Does anyone know anything about the sites of ex-zoos ;
Basildon Zoo, Merley Bird Gardens, Wellplace Zoo etc...
There are so many, it is quite depressing really.

 

[IanRRobinson]

Those who know Belfast, a zoo I have yet to visit, might know what are the long term plans for the old zoo area. I'd like to think there are longer term plans to create exhibits for reptiles, birds and smaller mammals, taxa in which Belfast seems a bit light.

 

[dean]

The only one I know of Basildon zoo it closed not that long ago but is now a housing estate, I recall the uproar when the owner sold an old lioness during an undercover TV anti zoo sting i think it ended up back at Woburn if memory serves me right.

 

[Johnny Morris.]

Whitson Zoo, is now a private house.

 

[dogman]

what about the famous Belle vue and Liverpool zoological gardens

 

[Nanook]

what about the famous Belle vue and Liverpool zoological gardens

Yes indeed, well Belle Vue is a housing estate I believe , not sure about Liverpool ?

 

[Nanook]

The only one I know of Basildon zoo it closed not that long ago but is now a housing estate, I recall the uproar when the owner sold an old lioness during an undercover TV anti zoo sting i think it ended up back at Woburn if memory serves me right.

Blimey, yet another housing estate on an ex- zoo site. Yes the owner was set-up, but they were already well-known to be selling DWA animals to private individuals who may or may not have had a licence so it was their own fault to be honest. They were breeding and selling Leopard cubs privately for many years also. One of which is "Rajah" who now lives at Borth Animalarium, having lived with a private owner beforehand.

 

[Nanook]

Those who know Belfast, a zoo I have yet to visit, might know what are the long term plans for the old zoo area. I'd like to think there are longer term plans to create exhibits for reptiles, birds and smaller mammals, taxa in which Belfast seems a bit light.

Belfast is an excellent collection but I don`t think there are any plans to do anything with the old Belle Vue site next door as far as I know. It is almost a "zoo-history museum of old enclosures" but as time goes by it gets more and more overgrown and falling further into disrepair. Though some of the more substantial buildings are still intact.

 

[Davef68]

Scarborough not sure what is there now, but Google maps still shows the old site



Aberdeen site is still part of Hazelhead park, just no longer a zoo

 

[Nanook]

Scarborough not sure what is there now, but Google maps still shows the old site



Aberdeen site is still part of Hazelhead park, just no longer a zoo

Has the site of Aberdeen Zoo been reverted back to parkland (grass) ?
It is a shame that some zoos are completely wiped out as if they never existed, with nothing left to show of their once being there.
That`s interesting that Google maps still shows the site of Scarborough.

 

[SHAVINGTONZOO]

Yes indeed, well Belle Vue is a housing estate I believe , not sure about Liverpool ?

I think the Liverpool (Mossley Hill) Zoo of the 1930s is mostly housing.

The 1880s Walton collection site largely became a factory and is now a mix of commercial/housing. The entrance lodge survives as a pizza place! The plasterwork on the front still survives, showing monkeys!

The West Derby site (1830s to 1860s) is housing.

 

[Nanook]

I think the Liverpool (Mossley Hill) Zoo of the 1930s is mostly housing.

The 1880s Walton collection site largely became a factory and is now a mix of commercial/housing. The entrance lodge survives as a pizza place! The plasterwork on the front still survives, showing monkeys!

The West Derby site (1830s to 1860s) is housing.

I like that fact the Monkeys are still showing in the plasterwork - a little reminder of the past.

 

[Davef68]

Has the site of Aberdeen Zoo been reverted back to parkland (grass) ?

Not all of it, there is still a 'Pets Corner' and some buildings that were part of the old zoo (Bearing in mind it closed in 1977 and it was probably 1974 I last visited, age 6!) and the maze. Some pics here:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=359427780774077&id=47236254126

Piper Alpha memorial is in Hazelhead now

That`s interesting that Google maps still shows the site of Scarborough.

It's perhaps more showing the mini-Theme park that followed the zoo at that site

Both Bing Maps and Google Maps satellite and aerial pics still show the basic layout, although it looks like some development is underway.