Belle Vue (1836 - 1982)
Biography
Belle Vue was the first privately founded zoo in England, established by John Jennison in 1836.
John, an entrepreneur and professional gardener, started selling fruit and vegetables from his home grounds in Adswood, Stockport in the mid-1820s with his wife. By 1829 they had built an aviary business, opened to the public for an admission charge and had turned their home into a public house. During the next decade the business continued expanding and in 1836, they took over Belle Vue, a public house seating on over 35 acres of land. The Jennison's original idea was to turn the gardens into a botanical attraction with some animal displays, but pushed by public demand, they decided to expand the zoological side of the business.
At its opening, as well as the aviary, Belle Vue contained an Italian Garden, lakes, mazes and hothouses. The site was an instant success and as attendance increased so did the attractions. In 1843 ponds were enlarged to create a boating lake with an island holding a natural history museum in the centre. In 1847 a racecourse was added and from 1852 firework displays became a regular feature. As the popularity of the site increased, so did the demand for innovation and an amusement park was built in the 1870s containing all the popular fairground rides of the time. Music and dancing were also popular attractions from the beginning, which could be enjoyed in various ballrooms and the Kings Hall exhibition space built in 1910, became the largest outside London.
The site was thriving up to the beginning of the First World War, when the complex was requisition by the government to build a munitions factory and for use by the Manchester Regiment. In spite of this, Belle Vue managed to survive the war and continued expanding during the post-war years, incorporating an annual Christmas circus show, which lasted for nearly sixty years from 1922. The circus was provided by the Blackpool Tower Company, which supplied acts and equipment, including the Tower’s resident ringmaster George Lockhart and became a roaring success.
Additionally, in 1928 Belle Vue built the largest purpose-built speedway stadium in the country and became a renowned boxing and wrestling venue.
During the Second World War, parts of the complex were requisitioned for military use including the King’s Hall, the restaurants, the offices and some of the grounds. Part of the gardens were also requisitioned by the Manchester Corporation to grow food. However, the rest of the complex was allowed to remain open to the public, which enabled Belle Vue to avoid financial disaster.
During the post-war years Belle Vue recovered and became one of the most famous attractions in the North West until the late 1960s when it started to decline. Huge financial losses first prompted the closure of the zoo in 1980. Between 1978 and 1982 several attempts to revitalise the rest of the complex were made, but eventually the land was sold and the site cleared by 1987.
At its peak, Belle Vue held the third largest zoo collection in the UK and attracted more than two million visitors a year. After its sale, the land was redeveloped for residential and business use with only the greyhound racing stadium, snooker hall and cinema remaining from the original site.
Found in 89 Collections and/or Records:
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1940 - 1946
Scrapbook of posters, newspaper cuttings, programmes and black and white photographs, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Blackpool Tower, Chessington, Chipperfield's, Paulo's, John Duffy and Belle Vue, 58p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1950 - 1953
Scrapbook of posters, newspaper cuttings, advertisments and black and white photographs, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Blackpool Tower, Chipperfield's, Billy Smarts, John Duffy and Sons and Belle Vue, 82p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, c1900 - 1999
Scrapbook of black and white photographs and newspaper cuttings, relating to multiple circus and acts including Chipperfield's, Billy Smarts and Belle Vue, 56p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1949 - 1960
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, black and white photographs and advertisments, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Belle Vue, Billy Smart's, Bertram Mill's, Rosaire's, 61p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1979 - 1982
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, relating to multiple circuses and acts including James Brothers, Belle Vue and Gandey's, 36p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1963 - 1978
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, photographs, advertisments and correspondance, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Belle Vue, Cottle and Austen and Billy Smart's, 196p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1929 - 1962
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, black and white photographs and correspondance, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Belle Vue, Fossett's and Bertram Mills, 238p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1935 - 1954
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, posters and photographs relating to multiple circuses and acts including Billy Smart's, Bertram Mills, Belle Vue and Rosaire's, 94p.p.
Trade and Advertising Material, c1900 - 1999
A range of items of promotion and advertising from a range of circus companies and performers, including artistes' photographs with act descriptions used for seeking employment in circuses and pamphlets advertising independent performances and circus companies' literature and souvenirs for public distribution and promotion including Gerry Cottle's Circus, Belle Vue, Blackpool Tower, Bertram Mills Circus, Gandey's, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Knie and many more.