Whipsnade Zoo

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  • Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell (ZSL Secretary 1903-1935) was inspired by a visit to the Bronx Zoological Park to create a park in Britain as a conservation centre. Hall Farm, a derelict farm on the Dunstable Downs, 30 miles (48 km) to the north of London was purchased by the Zoological Society of London in 1926 for £13,480 12s 10d, The site was fenced, roads built and trees planted. The first animals arrived at the park in 1928, including two Lady Amherst's pheasants, a golden pheasant and five red junglefowl. Others soon followed, including muntjac, llama, wombats and skunks. Whipsnade Park Zoo opened on Sunday 23 May 1931. It was the first open zoo in Europe to be easily accessible to the visiting public. The collection of animals was boosted in 1932 by the purchase of a collection from a defunct travelling menagerie and some of the larger animals walked to the zoo from Dunstable station. During the Second World War, the zoo acted as a refuge for animals evacuated from London Zoo. During 1940, 41 bombs fell on the park with little damage to the zoo structure. Some of the ponds in the park are the remains of bomb craters from this period.

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      Whipsnade Zoo

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        Whipsnade Zoo

          280 Archival description results for Whipsnade Zoo

          279 results directly related Exclude narrower terms
          Minutes of the Whipsnade Committee
          COM/1/4 · File · 1931-1947
          Part of Committees

          1940-1947 is contained within vol.10 of COM/1/1. Vol. 1 of the COM/1/4 starts with the minutes of the Aquarium Committee [London Zoo], 1922-1924, as the volume was reused.

           Zoological Society of London
          Miscellaneous
          WHI/4/1 · File · 1945-1948
          Part of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

          Correspondence and papers regarding miscellaneous property at Whipsnade, including a bungalow on the Holywell Estate at Studham, the construction of houses in the parishes of Whipsnade, Studham and Kensworth, the Brown Cottage in Studham, Chapel Farm Cottage at Whipsnade, the Wesleyan Chapel at Whipsnade, and the Green Man, Chalk Hill near Dunstable
          Office Building
          WHI/4/5 · File · 1952-1956
          Part of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

          Correspondence and papers regarding the office building at Whipsnade and the exchange of land between Mrs P Yates and Mr S Munn