Thorney Wildlife Park

Thorney Wildlife Park which closed in the early 1980s after several years of financial struggles.

From our Facebook group …….

• George Meadows Went to a fire there one night in the 70’s when I was in the PVFB. It was in a building on the side of the Whittlesey Road about opposite the Abbey, I think the entrance to the zoo was there. It was a big fire, at least three fire appliances, the turntable ladder and also an ambulance were all in attendance.
• John Homewood It was on the right just before you got to the lights in the village, think a couple of buildings are still there but derelict and can be seen from the Whittlesey Road. Before my time up here though
• Sharon Stimson I remember going there – as you drive into Thorney from Peterborough it was on the right hand side.
• Andy Jackson remember going there a few times. They had a big silverback gorilla but i cant recall his name
• Paul Thompson We used to go on the bus from Peterborough. It rained.
• Christine Keating I went there a few times, last time I went by the brick building where the giraffe’s were kept was still just about standing.
• Sue Kiddle Mamone Yes and think we may have mentioned the zoo before ..always a jolly good day out and a bonus in only a short drive away.Have photos …somewhere.
• Sean Townsend I used to go regular. There was an ape that if you threw it a banana it would throw it back.
• Sue Kiddle Mamone A good variety of animals for a small zoo.
• David Glenn Went to wildlife park as kid
• Patrick Omalley I went there as an infant , it wax great , there was a big elephant shed , and I think the old one is still standing.
• Paul Thompson Wasn’t it linked to a circus?
• Sue Kiddle Mamone Not to my knowledge ?
• Donna Allen I remember it being hideous:-((( we complained as I was in a wheelchair( broken ankle), and there was a baby rabbit in small enclosure dead and covered in maggots!!!! Shut down very quickly , as I remember big animals were only in like chicken wire cages?!?!    Eeeekkk
• Paul Thompson That’s what someone claimed on here the otehr day. Wintering for circus animals
• Patrick Omalley Dontvthink so , it built on some of thorney abbey land I think
• Sue Kiddle Mamone I heard they ran out of money…who knows ??
• Jayne Neale Horton I was taken there a few times as a child. I remember a bird in an enclosure was being eaten alive by other birds. I’ve never forgotten it. Horrible!
• Jan Bearman-Brown Was fine in its early days.. but it,and animals,became neglected..I’m sure there must be newspaper reports archived somewhere.
• Donna Allen I’m sure there is too :-((((
• Lise Alexander-Smith I went there with the Brownies!
• Richard Morris Robert Bros Circus of Polebrook did use it on several occasions for overwintering of some of their animals in the early days but as others have said the standards deterioated and evenually it was shut .
• Paul Young http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/691 ….. go to 1:49 for Wildlife Park !
• Jayne Neale Horton Brilliant film!
• Cathy Gutteridge Yes Richard Morris you’re right. The son/nephew of said Robert brothers is a tree surgeon in the village and has done some work for us. He told me the same story. I did go as a child on a school trip but don’t remember much about it.
• Paul Young That film is quite frightening ….. those poor creatures trapped in a concrete jail. “They seem so melancholy” ….. too right pal !!!
• Susan Broccoli Wow yes it used to be on the right hand side as you arrived into Thorney. Years ago
• Judith Gow My sister lived in the converted cottages on Whittlesey Road that ran down the side of the wildlife park.
• Carole Green In the ’70’s OH used to bike there from Whittlesey with his mates.  One time, one of them dared him to climb in the giraffe enclosure… Bad move, a giraffe kicked him full pelt in the thigh!  He didn’t climb in the pen again.
• Rachel Prior Yes remember going there as a child too.
• Jayne Robinson I went there as a child – the giraffe used to be able to look out onto the road. I heard it closed because the owner of the land wanted the land back.
• Lorraine Coleman Went there as a kid.
• Judy Dane I remember that too 🙂
• Stuart Bollons if you go to Thorney turn right at the traffic lights there is a information plaque about it just after the tall brick wall on the right on the way out of the village.
• Andy Jackson opposite the abbey
• Chris Groome I remember it well.it was in the paddocks on the left hand  side of the road going towards borough.the elephant house can still be seen in the distance, it closed about mid seventies
• Jane Abbott I remember an elephant, in the 70’s, chained up in a sort of hut.  A couple of years ago The Roberts were charged with cruelty to a lovely old elephant called Annie.  It made headline news in the Nationals and Annie  was eventually rescued and moved to…See More
• Sue Kiddle Mamone I think until it is known for sure and(  I still believe it closed due to financial reasons) comments should be guarded.
• Mark Finney Feeding time for the Giraffe

• Mark Finney I am sure this would violate some Health & Safety rule nowadays.

  

• Karen Sparkes The entrance road to Thorney Wildlife Park.

  
• Karen Sparkes I think this was the elephant enclosure.