Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

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Located 5 minutes from the M5 junction 19, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is a recently developed tourist attraction in Wraxall, North Somerset. Wraxall is also home to the Tyntesfield Estate.

[edit] History

Anthony and Christina Bush are the owners of Noah's Ark and had previously farmed it as a dairy farm for 35 years until 1995. Anthony became the tenant of the farm in 1960, aged 22, single, and with no money, only borrowed capital. In 1995 he and his wife bought the farm from the landlord, the Friesian cow herd was sold and the farm became an arable farm, with some sheep kept on ¼ of the 310 acres.

Noah's Ark began with a trial period in 1998, and its first full season in 1999 starting out with mainly farm animals, smaller animals to hold such as rabbits and guinea pigs, goats, and a small number of exotics — wallabies, rheas and llamas.

Since that initial opening the number of animals and visitors has increased rapidly, in 2005 Noah's Ark had 100,000 visitors, many of which were due to the arrival of South African white rhinoceroses in 2005. 2006 saw the arrival of Gerald the Giraffe, and will see the arrival of a possible two female giraffes later in the year.

[edit] Maze

Planted in 2003, one of the best kept secrets is that Noah's Ark is actually home to the longest hedge maze in the world. The maze was designed in two parts; the ark as described in the Bible, and a variety of animals including a giraffe, rhino and tortoise. The hedges are young and still growing so not quite as impressive as the maze of Longleat.