History
The Zoo was founded by George Mottershead, who already as a child decided that when he would be able to own a zoo it should have no bars. As he was upset seeing large animals in small cages in zoos at that time. In 1930, he brought his family to live in the Oakfield Manor and formed the original collection of animals from an earlier zoo at Shavington. He was influenced by the ideas of Carl Hagenbeck, who invented the modern zoo concept and by Heini Hediger, a pioneer of ethology. He kept the Zoo going through the Second World War, and rapid expansion followed after the war. George Mottershead died in 1978 aged 84 having realised his dream of a 'zoo without bars'.
The North of England Zoological Society, founded by Mottershead as well, has been running Chester Zoo ever since the opening.
The Zoo started with the purchase of 11 acres of land together with Oakfield Manor Building, The Stable Block and Lodge in circa 1935. The Zoo wide estate now consists of approximately 500 acres of which 110 acres is the zoological gardens and the wider estate making up the remaining 390 acres. Within the Zoo there are some 170 buildings of varying construction used for a variety of purposes. There is the existing Oakfield Manor and Stable Block that are listed with a preservation status. Other buildings include cafeterias, animal exhibits, administration, maintenance, and shops, all varying in size, and style and construction. On the wider estate, the 400 acres is primarily greenbelt and the land is leased or tenanted for agricultural purposes. On this land there are also three disused farms which are now used as storage and off show facilities. The Zoo also owns fourteen residential properties originally bought as accommodation for zoo employees. There are also two large houses which have been converted into houses for multiple occupancy which are used for short term lets for students and temporary staff.
Chester Zoo has a library situated within Cedar House Administrative Offices, with public access from the Zoo. The Library houses a fine collection of zoological, horticultural, conservational and veterinary material with books, journals, reports, student projects and conference proceedings. It is also the home of the Zoo archive collection, which covers the history of Chester Zoo from 1932 to the present day
In the beginning at just nine acres most of the original Zoo's collection was housed in the stable block and courtyard, buildings which, along with the original Oakfield House, can still be seen within the Zoo grounds today. On the 110 acres now in use for the zoological garden the visitor can experience several different exhibits which emphasises the Zoo's dedication to conservation and care for the animals. Like the Twilight Zone Bat Cave, Islands in Danger exhibit gives you some feeling of the tropical rainforest, and then there is the Spirit of the Jaguar. In September 2001 Spirit of the Jaguar was officially opened. This enclosure for the jaguars is to be believed the largest and best in the world. The wealth of interpretation in the exhibit certainly stimulates the mind. It addresses some of the problems these magnificent cats face and highlights their importance in ethnic folklore. The building is divided into two sections one savannah and one rainforest. They want their visitors to experience the Jaguar's different habitats, and for the cats to feel at ease with their surroundings. Both sections have been landscaped and planted to be sympathetic to the different environments. The aim is of course that the jaguars thrive in these environments, which includes their psychological well-being, allowing natural behaviour to be displayed.
The Zoo cares for over 7,000 animals, representing over 400 different species. Conservation is at the heart of the Zoo and so around half of these are threatened. Because the Zoo is very conservation orientated, less attention has been paid to its collection over the years. Nevertheless, it is still the largest zoo in England except for London Zoo.
(Source: website Chester Zoo; Zoo and Aquarium History by V.N. Kisling)
Visit(s)
to be visited
Gallery
Video
Source: website Chester Zoo
The below footage of the small-clawed otters in Chester Zoo has been shot and made available by Mark Gallagher in 2008, on YouTube:
More info
Our Zoo, a BBC series
In autumn 2014, Our Zoo - a six-part drama based on the true story of the Mottershead family who founded Chester Zoo in the 1930s, was broadcast by the BBC for the first time.
With incredible single-mindedness, George Mottershead drove himself and his family to realise his ambition to transform a ramshackle house on the outskirts of Chester into a unique visitor attraction, a zoo without bars.
The drama follows George's inspiring and challenging journey as he moves his wife, two young daughters and parents - along with a monkey and a parrot - into a draughty old stately home. With a derelict plot of land, mounting debts, no resources or manpower and a concerted campaign from the local villagers to halt George's plans entirely.
Trailer of 'Our Zoo':
More information on the series and 'behind the scenes' clips can be found on Chester Zoo website and BBC website.
Zoo details
Some additional information, such as contact details and involvement in breeding programmes.
Location
Directions
Directions to Chester Zoo
There are lots of ways to get to Chester zoo. They care about the planet and its wildlife at Chester Zoo, so their favourite forms of transport are trains, buses - and especially bikes.
Address:
Upton-by-Chester
Chester CH2 1LH
United Kingdom
public transport
by train
Chester Zoo is easy to reach by train as it is located only a couple of miles from Chester station. There's a direct bus that links the railway station with the Zoo (see by bus section).
There are several train companies operating in the area. Check the local train operator for fares and routes:
Northern Rail - From Altrincham, Manchester and across Cheshire
Arriva - From Wales and Manchester
Virgin Trains - From Crewe, London & Scotland
Merseyrail - From Liverpool & Merseyside.
by bus
There are lots of bus routes nearby, and many come right to the Zoo's main entrance.
>> From Chester Town Hall Bus Exchange
The number 1 bus runs every 20 minutes, every day including Bank Holidays during the daytime.
>> From Ellesmere Port and Chester
The DB2 service operates about four times a day (Monday - Saturday) to the Pedestrian Entrance of the zoo.
>> From Liverpool
(via Birkenhead, Ellesmere Port and Cheshire Oaks)
The number 1 bus runs every 20 minutes, every day during the daytime. The service runs every 30 mins on Bank Holidays.
>> And there's the Chester Zoo bus
The Chester Zoo bus link leaves Chester Station from stop S6 (opposite the station) every 12 minutes from 9.24am from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays the bus leaves the station at 9.35am then every 15 minutes throughout the day. Return buses to the station leave the Chester Zoo Park and Ride site every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday (last bus leaves 6.12pm) and every 15 minutes on Sundays (last bus leaves 6pm).
The Chester Zoo bus link will stop at the Upton Park and Ride, which is a short walk to the Zoo main entrance. Bus tickets are only valid from Chester Station, and will not be accepted on the Number 1 service from Bache station.
For all public transport enquiries phone Traveline 0871 200 22 33 or visit Traveline website.
by bicycle
Healthy for you, good for the environment. Plus, you get 15% off your tickets!
There are cycle racks at the main entrance of the Zoo. You can plan your ride using the cycle route planner, which will calculate the best route for your cycle ride to the zoo.
To encourage visitors to get to the Zoo by bicycle, cyclists will be given 15% off the cost of admission!Bring this voucher with you and present it when you buy your tickets.
Cycling is promoted in many ways in the area around Chester. For instance Cycle Chester is a long term project to get the people of the City on their bikes. Several cycle maps can be downloaded from its website. Furthermore there's the Chester Zoo Circular, which is a short, circular route of 13 kms (8 miles). It follows the canal towpath for the outward journey to Chester Zoo, and then follows NCN Route 56 and NCN Route 5 through Newton back to the starting point at Northgate Arena.
by car
The Zoo is well connected to the motorway and roads network. So they're easy to find, also because the Zoo is well signposted when you approach Chester, just look out for the brown signs.
If you're using a Sat Nav, please use postcode: CH2 1EU
The main entrance is just off the A41 / Moston Road and the Zoo has plenty of free car parking on site. Out of courtesy to the local residents, the Zoo request the visitors to avoid parking on Caughall Road and use the free on site car parking if possible.
Zoo map
Download the current zoo map here.
