Tropiquaria

Zoo in West Somerset, United Kingdom

51°09′39″N 3°20′56″W / 51.1609°N 3.3489°W / 51.1609; -3.3489LocationWashford Cross, West Somerset, United KingdomMembershipsBIAZA^[1]Websitewww.tropiquaria.co.uk

Listed Building – Grade II

Official nameWashford Transmitting StationDesignated25 January 1984Reference no.1057461

Tropiquaria Zoo is a small tropical house and zoo in West Somerset, England. It is located at Washford Cross, 16 miles (26 km) from Taunton and 9 miles (14 km) from Minehead.

It is based in a 1930s art deco BBC radio transmitter hall of Washford transmitting station, which became a Grade II listed building in 1984.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Tropiquaria opened on the site in 1989.^[5] The majority of the old transmitting station building became surplus to the BBC's requirements in 1981 when new, smaller equipment was installed in a separate building to the rear. In 1987, a £100,000 scheme to transform the unused part of the building into an aquarium and reptile house was proposed by the consortium Ark Enterprises Ltd, headed by Stephen Smith. Both a 21-year lease on the building and planning permission were acquired in 1987.^[6]

There is a mainly African theme to the tropical hall and aquarium as well as the large number of outside enclosures. The zoo is a member of BIAZA,^[1] the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and has successfully bred a number of endangered species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish.

Tropiquaria includes a Tropical Hall with a variety of snakes and lizards, and birds. The zoo also features an aquarium with several species of endangered, critically endangered and even extinct in the wild species of fish. Outside are macaws, helmeted curassow, cockatoos, parrots, agoutis, gibbons, serval, wildcats, wallabies, emus, rheas, tapir, cotton-top tamarins, red-handed tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, ruffed lemurs, brown lemurs, coatis, yellow mongoose and meerkats amongst many others.^[7]

There is also a number of outdoor play areas, and an indoor play area and cafe.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b "BIAZA Zoos and Aquariums". biaza.org.uk. BIAZA. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
^ "Washford Radio Museum". Washford Radio Museum. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
^ "Washford Transmitting Station, Williton". Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
^ Historic England. "Washford Transmitting Station (1057461)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
^ Collins, Dick (4 May 1989). "Council power – a new energy source". Central Somerset Gazette. p. 32. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Stokes, Ray (30 May 1987). "Ex-BBC station set to go wild". Western Daily Press. p. 5. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Tropiquaria Wildlife Park". Everything Exmoor. Retrieved 11 June 2010.