Beale Wildlife Park - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Beale Park)

Zoo in Reading, Berkshire

Beale Wildlife Park

Miniature train

51°30′N 1°6.5′W / 51.500°N 1.1083°W / 51.500; -1.1083
Date opened	1956
Location	Lower Basildon Reading Berkshire RG8 9NH
Website	bealepark.co.uk

Beale Wildlife Park is situated by the River Thames, between the villages of Pangbourne and Lower Basildon in Berkshire, England. It has three main areas of attraction: collections of small exotic animals, farm animals and birds; landscaped gardens and woodlands; and children's play areas.

In 1956, Beale Park was formed by Gilbert Beale who decided to give the 350-acre (140 ha) Thames-side park land to ‘the people’ by converting it from private farmland into a non-profit making, charitable trust. In those days it was little more than a track and a couple of ponds.

Attractions

Over recent years, the park has expanded to accommodate a wide variety of visitors, especially the youngest ones. The park has recently built a Roplay area, a pets area, sand pits, paddling pools, Little Tikes Play Area, and the Beale Railway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) section of 10+1⁄2 in (267 mm) narrow gauge railway on which is run a diesel locomotive, "Sir Humphrey Davy"; and previously a steam locomotive, "John Remmy", each capable of pulling 5 carriages and 50 people. Thirteen people were injured when a steam train crashed on the Beale Railway on Saturday, 27 June 2009.

For older visitors, there are the gardens, lakes, and the model boat exhibition.

There is also a gift shop, education centre, and restaurant on site.

Birds

Beale Park's aviaries are home to a wide variety of bird species that are threatened with extinction. Most notable are the green peafowl, the mountain peacock pheasant, and the Bali starling. There is also successful breeding programme and several birds have been released back to the wild.

There are many themed aviaries around the park including: Regional aviaries (home to African, Asian and Australian birds), the walkthrough aviary, the owlery, Madagascan aviary, and the flamingos.

Changes

Over recent years, the park has expanded greatly to a more zoological collection, the park now houses lemurs, owls, and in 2007, meerkats, prairie dogs, and tamarins arrived.

2008 saw the arrival of various new exhibits and attractions including a New Zealand exhibit with wallabies and Arapawa goats.

References

Beale Park - Attractions - Train Archived 2010-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
Steam train crash on mini railway, BBC News, Saturday, 27 June 2009

External links

Media related to Beale Park at Wikimedia Commons
Official website

v t e Zoological gardens in the United Kingdom
Zoos	Africa Alive! Amazon World Zoo Park Banham Zoo Beale Park Belfast Zoo Birdland Park and Gardens Birdworld Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park Blackpool Zoo Borth Wild Animal Kingdom British Wildlife Centre Calderglen Country Park Chessington Zoo Chester Zoo Colchester Zoo Cotswold Wildlife Park Crocodiles of the World Curraghs Wildlife Park Dartmoor Zoological Park Drayton Manor Zoo Drusillas Zoo Park Dudley Zoo Durrell Wildlife Park Edinburgh Zoo Exmoor Zoo Five Sisters Zoo Flamingo Land Resort Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo Hamerton Zoo Hawk Conservancy Trust Heythrop Zoological Gardens Howletts Wild Animal Park International Centre for Birds of Prey Isle of Wight Zoo Lakeland Wildlife Oasis London Zoo Manor House Wildlife Park Marwell Zoo Monkey Sanctuary Monkey World New Forest Wildlife Park Newquay Zoo Noah's Ark Zoo Farm Northumberland Zoo Northumberland College Zoo Paignton Zoo Paradise Park, Cornwall Paradise Wildlife Park Peak Wildlife Park Plantasia Ponderosa Zoo Screech Owl Sanctuary Seaview Wildlife Encounter South Lakes Safari Zoo Tropical World (Leeds) The Living Rainforest Tropical Birdland Tropiquaria Twycross Zoo Welsh Mountain Zoo Wetheriggs Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Whipsnade Zoo Wildwood Discovery Park Wild Place Project Wingham Wildlife Park Woodside Farm and Wildfowl Park Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Safari parks	Blair Drummond Safari Park Highland Wildlife Park Knowsley Safari Park Longleat Safari and Adventure Park Port Lympne Wild Animal Park West Midlands Safari Park Woburn Safari Park
Former	Belle Vue Zoological Gardens Bristol Zoo Coventry Zoo Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park Glasgow Zoo Knaresborough Zoo Lambton Lion Park Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens Living Coasts Manchester Zoological Gardens Oxford Zoo Penscynor Wildlife Park Rare Species Conservation Centre Royal Surrey Gardens Southam Zoo Southport Zoo Windsor Safari Park
Category List Those listed in italics contain more than 5000 animals

51°30′N 1°6.5′W / 51.500°N 1.1083°W / 51.500; -1.1083

Categories: