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Dudley Zoo

Shera

Shera

true brummie
hello all

when i was young our summer holidays were just a few days out. one day perhaps to weston super mare by coach, another to the botanical gardens and our favourite day out was dudley zoo. we always had to go on a wednesday as that was cheaper than any other day.

we had a ride on the chair lift and you could ride on the elephants but we could never afford that. we used to go up to the top of dudley castle although i hear nowadays youre not allowed to do that (health and safety) and there was a really good aquarium.

anyone else with any memories of dudley zoo?

chris
 
I too have very fond memories of Dudley zoo. My dad used to take my brother and me there very often in the late 50s very early 60s. I rememember the amusements and the hall of mirrors, the chairlift and the castle grounds where a flock of peacocks used to roam.And wasnt the view fabulous from the top of the battlements.
Yes, I did get a ride on the elefumps as i used to call them but it must have been a special occasion as the rides were expensive.Somewhere in the loft i have a large collection of box brownie photos of the zoo that i will post when i have found them. In the meantime I am attaching yet another photo of bruvver and me riding on the train there. It must have been in the 50s as otherwise I would not have dreamed of riding in a train named after a girl. That would have been sissy bless.
 
lovely photo john. i too used to go to dudley zoo quite a lot. prob about the same time as you did. ive got some pics somewhere. will sort them out and post them. wales.
 
Went there in July, didn't like it at all really as some of the animal pens were dire just like years ago.
A herd of about 18 Reindeer in a paddock with no grass, just gravel???

The Orang Utan enclosure was terrible even tho it looked like a fairly recent 'architect designed' structure split into three different areas for different types of Orang with no place to hide, the Chimps had a large grassed area with trees which was however much better.
I don't think there is a place for zoos that don't have the space required for the animals to have a decent life, you only have to look at Longleat or Bewdley Safari park to see how it should be done. When the zoo opened in the 1930's many of the animals inc. Lions were trapped in tiny cages , remember the horrible bear pit? it's still there.
There are some improved areas such as the walkthru Lemur enclosure, that was nice & there appears to be a new Lion enclosure under construction but in general the place is run down & dicrepid in parts
 
That's sad to read Izzy. Dudley Zoo has had financial problems over the
years.I understood that in the last couple of years at Dudley Zoo there have been many improvements overall. It would take a huge about of financial input to bring it satisfacorily up to the standard of many Zoo's even British ones.

I fist went there in the late l940's with the Sunday School on outings. We had a great time and looked forward to the teas we had in the restaurant. We used to climb around on the Castle ruins. It was wonderful. I like the cable railway ride, the slot machine arcade and the animals, of course.

I last visited in l985 when I took my children for the day. I remember reading that the Ape House was the latest in keeping that type of animal, in the world. I have to agree that it is very difficult to find a zoo with ideal
conditions for all it's animals, etc. I also visited in l977 and the elephant
that was there then made a beeline for my young son in his pushchair.
The elephant wanted to investigate my son with his trunk. We still talk about that today. I have some great photos of my daughter taken in 1985 at the Giraffe and Lama enclosure. I would like to visit the Zoo again.
I forgot to say that I saw the most owls I have ever seen anywhere in a zoo at Dudley.

I also enjoyed walking around the shops and market.
 
The cable car looks like it's not run for a long time, unsafe now I guess, there's still a few kiddies rides down below however.
 
Izzy that cable car brings back memories. We were almost at the top when a very pregnant woman sat down and they couldn,t close the bar. They halted it and we were stook up there what may have been minutes but seemed like an eternity. Jean.
 
Used to take the Kids but the last time I came away so depressed I never went back. However I should state that my youngest is now approaching 38 at the speed of an express train so it must have been many years ago.
 
Hi: Had a look on their web site and it looks like they take the customers to the top in buses now. Here are the admission prices, etc.

I remember my Mother telling me that they had found sea shell deposits..not actual shells but teeny weeny bits, at the highest ground point at Dudley Castle. I had a quick look on the Dudley Corp web site and sure enough 420 million years ago Dudley and areas around it was at the bottom of a tropical sea!

Used to love the old slot machines, some of which were still there in l985.
One in particular was a graveyard where skeletons came out of the grave
and scared you. Not forgetting the Grabby Crane.
 
Who remembers the advert - "Ooz going to Dudley Zoo!"

Not far from the Zoo and Castle, in an area called 'Wren's Nest' there are many fossils to be found, the place is rich with them. I went as a child and collected some, and have taken my children to see and collect some. They are mostly sea animal shells, so it doesn't surprise me that the area was once under the ocean.
 
Jennyann,
Your'e quite right about the limestone deposits around Dudley. When I was only ten I was easily motivated by my teachers, and i persuaded two other boys to come with me to the Wren's Nest, which is the next of those very dramatic hills around Dudley. The reason was to look for fossils - we had learned about ammonites, trylobites and suchlike, and Mr Dainty said that was where you could find them for yourself. We got a Corporation 74 bus to Dudley, where I asked various grown-ups how to get to the Wren's Nest, and ended up getting a Midland Red D2 (I think it was) to the Priory Estate. We took some equipment with us - I had a cloth bag, our coalhammer and a cold chisel - and I proudly showed my specimens at school in the following week. After that we went three or four times, and explored that fascinating area now closed to the public, known as the Wren's Nest Caves. The limestone was extracted to act as the flux in the smelting of iron, and the caves, being filled with water, were used by canal boats to carry the stuff to the furnaces, and I believe they were still quarrying there, deep down below. It was all quite spooky, but I often remember it when I go past the area, mainly on my favourite British bus roue, the 558, from Wolverhampton to Dudley via Sedgley and Upper Gornal. I remember it as the Wolverhampton Corporation trolleybus No 8B, but it was a tram before my time).You ride along that marvellous ridge, with the Severn valley (leading to the Bristol Channel) on one side and the Tame (leading to the Trent and the Humber) on the other. You can see the Wrekin, Clee Hills, Brecon Beacons, and the Malverns against an afternoon sun, and Cannock Chase, Barr Beacon and quite a lot of North Warwickshire in the opposite direction.
I'm sure there's quite a bit about the Wren's Nest on the net via Google. The Black Country Museum covers it quite well, too.
Peter
 
Last time I went to dudley zoo was in the mid sixties and all I can remember is the Polar Bear enclosure. A bit of dirty water in a concrete pit painted (what was once white) to look like a iceberg. The Polar Bears (dirty yellow) just paced up and down rocking their heads. Put me off enclosed zoos for life.
 
You can get a canal boatride that goes right under the castle in effect, into the limestone caverns deep below, it's run by the Dudley canal trust & access is from the Black country museum or from its own access round the corner.

the polarbear pit reffered to by Hawkmoon is still there altho it's empty
 
hi i also have memorys of dudley zoo as a child, the chair lift, and more than anything i remember a killer whale called cuddles, that apparently wasn't there for very long, i also can recall some balck panthers, i took my children there today, it was like walking back in time, the chair lift is still there but not working, and the animal compounds are still the same but the place is looking a bit tired, but got to say we had a fabulous day, would love to see some pics from years ago
 
There was another thread where people put photos of the zoo but I cant find it. I remember astoness putting some old ones on. (someone asked for photos for research on the zoo - I think)
perhaps someone will find it and point us in the right direction

Polly
 
Hiya Rachel and welcome to the forum
i remember many many years ago going to the Zoo on the bus all the way from Hockley with Mom and Dad..we had a lovely day, but on the bus coming back Mom's bag started to move( she used to carry a big shopping bag ) when we opened it a baby fox was inside ..i think we took it back to the zoo but not sure
 
lack of investment I spose, last time I went there was when my daughter had a day helping the zoo keepers. Makes a great birthday present btw. But the old concrete buildings are in a poor state. When was it built ? I'd guess in the 30s judging by the style of the 'restaurant.

I can remember the cable cars, but do I really remember Polar Bears in the now derelict enclosure at the bottom of the hill ?
 
Took the grandchildren to the zoo a couple of years ago, it's not altered much since I last went. I used to get dragged round there with my grandmother, didn't like it much at all.
 
took my grand daughter a few years back and the one thing i remember was the gorilla all on it's own and showing real signs of stress ..
 
The one thing I did enjoy was the nice young lady showing me & Kris where they filmed for 'Most Haunted' in the grounds of the castle. Scared our Laura witless
 
stepping down from the midland red single decker about 1953, looking across to the flower bedecked enterance and up to the castle ruins, listening to the sounds of wild animals echoing round the street, on a blazing hot day with my mom and dad and a picknic basket I thought the world could get no better. my first time and sight of dudley zoo aged 6yrs, never forgotten the thrill.
 
Paul you are right it was a midland red and now i remember the flowers ..thanks for bringing back the memories
 
When going there as a lad,we used to have to change buses at the boundry,in West Brom.
My granny was born in Dudley,and she told me she used to play in the caves there when she was a girl.
The zoo opened in 1934,I think.
 
paul stacey said:
stepping down from the midland red single decker about 1953, looking across to the flower bedecked enterance and up to the castle ruins, listening to the sounds of wild animals echoing round the street, on a blazing hot day with my mom and dad and a picknic basket I thought the world could get no better. my first time and sight of dudley zoo aged 6yrs, never forgotten the thrill.
Click to expand...

Paul that is lovely - I can just imagine you standing there taking in all the sights and sounds.
 
Thanks maggie and polly,for your reply's strange how some things remain fresh in your old mind whilst others diminish but it seems our generation relished in the simple pleasures.
paul
 
While scanning some old 35m negatives found these, I believe they are from Dudley Zoo, long time ago
 
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