The Leeds Zoological & Botanical Gardens closed just eight years after opening in 1840, but some incredible landmarks remain to this day. One of those landmarks is the Bear Pit.
Located off Cardigan Road in Headingley, Leeds, the Bear Pit takes the form of a small castle with two turrets. Visitors would climb the spiral staircase within the turrets to a viewing platform where they could look down into the pit that was the home of a brown bear.
Built in a time when the British Empire was rapidly expanding, Victorians were developing a curiosity for the creatures and plants of these new colonies. Botanical gardens were opening up across the country. Unfortunately, the Leeds Zoological & Botanical Garden struggled financially, and it was forced to close in 1948. The surrounding land was sold off for redevelopment and the Bear Pit was left to fall into ruin.
Leeds Civic Trust approached us to develop a scheme to open up the Bear Pit as a public attraction once more. The structure has been restored. Overgrown trees were cleared to create space for a gently sloping ramp around the rear of the building. The ramp takes visitors up to the top level of the pit where new railings have been installed. Thankfully visitors will only be able to look down onto a sculpture of a bear rather than the real thing.
