PEOPLE in Bristol and beyond have had the chance to snap up a piece of history from the zoo.
Bristol Zoological Society put more than 300 items of memorabilia from the Clifton site up for auction. They ranged from original zoo signage to animal sculptures, statues and Victorian benches.
Money raised from a gala dinner and auction and two online auctions last month will help fund the new conservation zoo at Bristol Zoo Project at Cribbs Causeway as well as the charity’s conservation and education work.
The society is keen to emphasise that the items for sale were chosen only after items of significance had been retained. A specialist archivist was brought in to identify items of historical value, which are now stored in Bristol City Council archives. The charity also asked members of the public to get in touch if they had any personal items at the site. It has since returned everything from plaques on benches to portraits.
Justin Morris, chief executive of Bristol Zoological Society, said: “We know the former Bristol Zoo Gardens holds a special place in the hearts of so many people who visited or who were associated with it in some way, which is why we have taken our time to ensure any items of particular historical or sentimental value were preserved. With the launch of these auctions we hope people will take the opportunity to join us in celebrating our long history while also helping to fund the future, by securing their own piece of the gardens.”
The auctions were conducted by Bristol-based Auctioneum Ltd. Its associate director Andrew Stowe said: “All of the items tell stories and share a narrative through our collected social history – there are objects from the zoo’s very beginnings, through to both World Wars, and items that remained after the site closed in 2022. Anyone who ever visited Bristol Zoo Gardens will see something they remember..”
A last-ditch attempt to stop the auctions was made by a group of shareholders, led by musician Tom Jones. They said the sale should be delayed until a judicial review into the awarding of planning permission to redevelop the Bristol Zoo Gardens site was concluded.
A separate group opposed to the sale of the zoo site, the Save Bristol Gardens Alliance, was granted permission for the judicial review at the end of October.
The campaigners oppose the plans approved by Bristol City Council for 196 homes on the site and want to see better safeguards for the public open space.