Harewood House bird garden set to close

Harewood House has announced it will close its bird garden after more than 50 years due to financial pressures.

The trust which looks after the 18th Century house, near Leeds, said the £4m needed to refurbish and maintain the attraction was "too much to afford".

The birds - which include Humboldt penguins and flamingos - are to be rehomed and the area transformed into a woodland garden, it said.

Trust chair Emily Shard said the decision was made "with huge sadness".

"The investment needed to create a modern zoo and maintain this each year is too much for the Trust to afford," she said.

"We must make this change and focus on the long-term ambition of this wonderful place, and on the opportunities that Harewood has to support our environment, represent the people and the communities that live in this area today, and to continue to develop Harewood, to serve its best purpose into the future."

The house was built by John Carr of York, with interiors by Robert Adam and landscapes by Lancelot "Capability" Brown.

Since 1986 it has been run by the Harewood House Trust, with a board of trustees and an administration tasked with ensuring its long-term future and providing a place for the public benefit.

The trust said it was unable to make the bird garden "the place that we, and you, all want it to be".

In a statement it said: "At Harewood's last zoo inspection, the team were praised for their excellent care and the health of the birds, but sadly they identified many problems with the site's physical infrastructure that the charity cannot sustain.

"Over the next six months or so, the birds - many of which are exotic or endangered - will be re-homed at places better equipped long-term to ensure they continue to have comfortable and enriched lives and to ensure their life-long care."

The farm experience is to remain and the area surrounding Harewood's Courtyard is to be improved to provide a better visitor experience, it said, while the South Park walk, which opened in 2021, will be extended.

The bird garden will be transformed into an area "where native wildlife can thrive" and visitors will be able to see woodland and water birds, red kites, otters and more, the trust added.

The closure date will be announced later in the year, the trust said.

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