The Francis Frith Collection.
You are here: Home > Explore your past > England > Cheshire > Chester Zoo
This week only - save 25% on Mounted and Framed Photo Prints!

Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo photos (8 available)

Old photo of Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo maps (2 available)

Old map of Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo books (16 available)

Chester Zoo memories

Be the first to add a memory of Chester Zoo.

You can also read memories of nearby places in Cheshire below.

Cheshire memories

wooden bridge

My uncle Bill Wright lived & worked in Chester from the war period to 1963. He was a widower and had a damp old ground floor of a rather grand house beside the wooden bridge across the Dee. My Aunts , his sisters would go up from London and stay with him and I would go every summer to stay a couple of weeks.He loved walking and would take me walking into Wales through lovely countryside.From my bedroom, through Bay windows ,I remember the mist and stillness in the early morning as swans glided along the Dee - it was magic and a memory I shall always treasure.While fishing for tadpoles I fell in the Dee and my uncle , in ...read more here
A memory of Chester contributed by charles wright

Pub Regulars

Chester, Bridge Street, the Bear and Billet Inn 1888

My grandfather  Frederick Burghall and his wife used to have a drink in this pub once a week. They lived in nearby Handbridge. Their sons Frederick and Ernie used to have a pint also in the 70s and 80s.
Whilst doing my mother's family tree we visited the pub to see what it looked like. We had a good look around and surprised the chef by visiting the top floor. I loved the atmosphere. Hadn't really changed much I suppose even though it had been modernised.
Lynn Mace (Burghall)
A memory of Chester contributed by Lynn Mace

Boat Trip on The River Dee

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Chester. As a young child we would visit the City, and as I grew up and married we would visit with our daughters. We always loved taking the trip down the River Dee. The last time we did this was in 1989 while on vacation in England I now live in Canada.
A memory of Chester contributed by Brenda Vanderwert

Childhood memories

What a wonderful place to explore and grow up in, particularly as a history loving child. Born in Southport to await my father's return from army service in 1945, we soon moved back to the family origins in Chester.
The Taylor family had lived in Chester, within the walls since the mid 1700's. In the late 1940's the family of George Allan Taylor comprising myself and three brothers, Allan, Colin and Ian initially moved from Southport to Blacon but subsequently lived over our father's Barber shop at 8 Grosvenor Street (now demolished I believe) to where he had moved from 23 Lower Bridge Street.
In the 1800's the Taylor family had lived in Victoria Buildings in Lower Bridge ...read more here
A memory of Chester contributed by Sandra Brown

Extracts From Chester Zoo & Cheshire books

Chester Zoo, Molly the Elephant steps out c1955

Chester Zoo was founded in 1934, and a number of animals were brought here for safety during the Second World War, including Molly. She was looked after by an Indian mahout, and in those days, before the zoo had the proper boundary fences that it has today, he was regularly to be seen taking Molly for walks in the surrounding area.
An extract from from"Cheshire Living Memories".

Chester Zoo, Jimmy the Orang Outang 1957

It was in the years following the war that Chester Zoo acquired the excellent reputation that it has today for its breeding programmes, including the breeding of orang-utans. Jimmy, pictured here, was the first to arrive. He came in 1958, and before long had acquired a reputation amongst the staff as an escapee, always managing to get away from the island where he was housed.
An extract from from"Cheshire Living Memories".

Ditton, St Michael's Church, Ditton Hall c1965

With so many workers arriving here in the 1800s from Ireland there was a strong Roman Catholic presence and this enormous church was built in the 1870s to serve that congregation. For the first 23 years it was also a collegiate church for Jesuits with, at one time, 32 priests, 22 scholastics and 17 lay brothers.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".

Ditton, Ditchfield Road c1965

There have been several Ditchfield Halls near here. In the 1500s and 1600s the Dychfield family that lived here were strong Roman Catholics and refused to attend the Protestant services at their local parish church at Farnworth. Instead they built their own chapel but they were still fined for not attending the official church services! The last Ditchfield Hall was demolished in the 1960s.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".

Widnes, Promenade 1923

It would have been near here that the ferry landed. The first ferry was established in 1178 by the baron who owned Halton Castle on the southern side of the estuary. His estates included lands on the northern side and, apparently, the ferry was set up primarily so his tenants could cross the river more easily in order to pay him their taxes.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".