Our Gardens
It’s not just animals we tend to at the Welsh Mountain Zoo – we’re also a flora conservation centre, with an extensive garden and botanical collection to maintain! Thanks to our dedicated gardeners and volunteers, we work with a broad range of plant life, from native trees and shrubs to tropical plants and even several rare botanical species. But our work doesn’t stop there! We’ve worked with numerous botanical expeditions, enabling the introduction of new and unusual plants to our gardens. Seed has arrived from far-flung places such as Chile, Russia and the Himalayas to be planted in the Zoo’s gardens.
Collaborations with major botanical institutions such as Bodnant Garden, Treborth Botanic Gardens, Bangor and Kew Gardens has ensured that we continue to cultivate our knowledge of flora in the natural world. We hope the diversity of the Zoo’s botanical collection has something of interest for gardeners, botanists, teachers and anyone interested in plant life. After exploring our gardens we think you’ll agree, plant life is wonderful too!
The Natural Zoo
We owe a great deal to our founder, Robert Jackson, for choosing such a stunning and naturally rich site for the Zoo. Nestled in this beautiful landscape, we’re surrounded by an abundance of native wildlife, including Grey Herons, Grass Snakes, Badgers, a variety of Beetles, and a wealth of wildflowers and trees. We are committed to protecting these species, their habitats, and the area’s natural beauty as the Zoo continues to grow and evolve.
In recent years, biologists and conservationists worldwide have recognised the vital role that natural habitats within zoos can play for local biodiversity. Many are working to enhance and preserve these spaces as nature reserves, demonstrating the broader environmental impact zoos can have. This is something we’ve been proud to do since we first opened our doors in 1963—nurturing not just the animals in our care but also the surrounding environment, ensuring it thrives for future generations.
The Flagstaff Estate
The Welsh Mountain Zoo is located in the grounds of what was ‘The Flagstaff Estate’ – the grounds and gardens that once belonged to Dr Walter Whitehead in the 19th century.
Walter Whitehead commissioned architect Dan Gibson and landscape architect Thomas Mawson to design a house and garden. Gibson and Mawson had collaborated in the past, originally meeting during work on Graythwaite Hall in Cumbria. Their Flagstaff Estate partnership was only for a short 2 years (1898 to 1900), however this led to their collaboration on several projects thereafter.
Thomas Mawson’s landscape design were and continue to be held in high renown, and he is now considered to be one of the most important landscape architects of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.
The Original Plans
From the original plans many of the Welsh Mountain Zoo’s garden features may be recognised. The lawns above the existing Eurasian Brown Bear habitat are surrounded with herbaceous borders and three sets of beautiful stone steps – a layout almost identical to that shown on plan, except for the semi-circular area which originally housed a sundial. In its place now stands the African Aviary.
Behind the main house, above the formal lawns and herbaceous borders, a peaceful path featured that made its way up the steps from the lawns. Turn left, and you’d have been treated to a beautiful view of the summer house, framed perfectly by a charming decorative gateway. The two raised flower beds in the Children’s Farm are a more recent addition, adding a splash of colour and interest to the area.