Longleat House and Safari Park

The weather today looked a hell of a lot better than it did yesterday thankfully, and for this reason we decided to head to Longleat. Longleat is a stately home on thousands of acres which also, thanks to a flamboyant and eccentric new ‘lord’ boasts a small theme park and a safari tour, complete with lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinos, silver back gorillas and more! It was amazing! The area of Longleat is gorgeous and green, rolling hills, country lanes etc, just like you imagine England country side to look like, oh and they have the sweetest little cottages that remind you of something straight out of a Beatrix Potter or Enid Blyton book. Anyhow, the state home is also breath taking. You drive up this long driveway and this huge mansion of a house, like something you’d see in a Jane Austin film is sitting before you. It has been in the family for the past 400 years, passed on to lord to lord and lived in. We did a tour of the house and it’s, and I’m sorry to keep using books and films as references, but it really does look like something from a Jane Austin film! Portraits of all the lords and family members of the past hung in the corridors, huge dining tables, reading rooms, old guns hung above fire places etc, there was so much to take in and as it seems with most places that contain so much history, we were unable to take photos.

We then visited the grounds where we went to the ‘pet corner’ and I was able to hold a 17 year old python, we were able to watch extremely intelligent parrots count with a cow bell, see some general animals (rabbits etc) then head to the more exciting animals like otters, tortoise and, see our first ever porcupine! Oh my gosh! I NEVER knew that a porcupine was so bloody big!! I thought it was a little bigger than our echidna, but they’re actually the size of a middle to large sized dog. Surprised the hell out of me!

Jenny (rabbit) and I (otter?!)

The massive porcupine!!! Who knew they were so bloody big?!?!

We then head off on a boat where we were greeted by Californian Sea lions, hippos, pelicans, and on a little island, sat a silverback gorilla. I asked why they left him out here on a little island on his lonesome and apparently if he was to be on the ‘land’ like other animals he’d have to be behind bars and have a very large enclosure, so, by putting him on an island where he can’t swim, he’s left to have a more ‘natural’ environment with no bars etc. Seems to be fair. This gorilla did have a partner but she died a few years back, they haven’t brought him a new mate as he’s too old for one now and would put them in danger with his moods, so he sits alone on his little island where he watches telly in the mornings, this is his one request and true loves apparently, especially cartoons.

We then head to the African safari, which I was very excited about! Here you were able to take yourself, in your car, on a tour around the African landscape. We saw giraffe, zebra, camels, flamingos, vultures, antelope, deer’s (not so African we know, but there was a real life Bambi with its mum so it made up for this fact) rhinos and then we head to the tiger enclosure, lion enclosure and then wolf enclosure. It was very cool, and we were the last car going through for the day so we were able to get space to see the animals with out being ‘nudged’ along by other cars. Seeing the lions was really wonderful as while we were there they began to growl and roar, this felt like a real treat at the end of the day.

Contemplating life.. oh it can be so difficult!

"How low can you go?"

Longleat House and Safari Park

Bristol, United Kingdom