Botanical Gardens Bear Pit - Sheffield, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 22.304 W 001° 29.963
30U E 599836 N 5914674
This Historic England Grade II Listed Building is a bear pit that was installed into Sheffield Botanical Gardens as a visitor attraction in 1855.
Waymark Code: WMZZA9
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/27/2019
Views: 0
Sheffield Botanical Gardens
"...Situated close to the city centre Sheffield Botanical Gardens were opened in 1836 and now cover 19 acres on a south-west sloping site. The Gardens are listed by English Heritage as a Grade II site of special historic and architectural interest. The Grade 2 Glass Pavilions house a wonderful collection of plants from the temperate areas of the world and provide a wonderful backdrop for the sweeping lawns with their magnificent trees and central Broadwalk.
Several winding paths take the visitor on an exploration through over 18 different garden areas based on geographical or botanical themes. Much loved by children of all ages is a rare Grade II listed Bear Pit which can be found hidden between the recently renovated Mediterranean and Himalayan gardens...."
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Bear Pit
The Bear Pit is the finest surviving example in the UK. The superb condition of the structure is due to the many years it was used as Yorkshire’s biggest compost pit.
This is a Grade II listed structure and was built in 1836 to home a black bear. In 1839 the attempt to combine zoological exhibits was stopped because of the noise and stench. In 1855 Sir Henry Hunloke presented 2 brown bears to the Gardens although little is known about how long they remained there. Local legend relates that a child was killed after falling into the pit around 1870.
The Grade II listed Bear Pit was fully repaired during the restoration of the Gardens. The old railings (of a somewhat dour municipal character) have been replaced with more elegant ones, matching the railings which surround most of the Gardens. Grilles have been re-instated and can be pulled across the entrance to the Pit, and also across the 2 side dens (which once housed the 2 bears). The grilles can be locked, thereby keeping things either in or out.
In January 2005 a mild steel sculpture of a bear (2.4m tall) was installed, to remind people of the former use of this structure. The bear was originally a pale silver grey colour, but the sculptor allowed the metal to rust naturally. The bear is an interesting and very realistic grizzly-brown colour."
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The Historic England listing details are as follows.
"Bear pit. Early C19, restored mid C20. Coursed rubble with stone dressings and renewed iron railing. Circular pit approx 5m diameter and 4m deep, with low parapet wall and slab coping. Triple arched passage entrance with larger central opening, with slots for bars or doors. Inside, 2 blocked segment-headed openings on opposite sides. One of the original features of the Botanical Gardens."
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