Rode Tropical Bird Gardens, Bath

I live about an hours drive from Bath and had visited the bird gardens on many occasions. They were closed in 2001 and I hope I have saved any potential day-trippers a wasted journey.

When open the tropical bird gardens were the ideal place for everyone to visit regardless of age. The woodlands and gardens were adapted for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Many local schools used the premises to teach children all about nature and ...
...for the public to enjoy. These were clearly posted on a board as you entered. You could also purchase a small booklet and map of the park.

The gardens were full of hundreds of exotic, tropical and very colourful birds. Many of these would fly freely amongst the grounds and some were so tame they would land on you. All of the aviaries were outside and easily accessible. They had been specially designed to blend in with their natural ... more

I live about an hours drive from Bath and had visited the bird gardens on many occasions. They were closed in 2001 and I hope I have saved any potential day-trippers a wasted journey.

When open the tropical bird gardens were the ideal place for everyone to visit regardless of age. The woodlands and gardens were adapted for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Many local schools used the premises to teach children all about nature and wildlife. There were also many displays and feeding sessions daily for the public to enjoy. These were clearly posted on a board as you entered. You could also purchase a small booklet and map of the park.

The gardens were full of hundreds of exotic, tropical and very colourful birds. Many of these would fly freely amongst the grounds and some were so tame they would land on you. All of the aviaries were outside and easily accessible. They had been specially designed to blend in with their natural surroundings. A large number of the birds were endangered species and were very rare. A captive breeding programme was very successful and you used to be able to visit the hatchling centre. I personally don't like to see caged birds but these tropical gardens tried to ensure the well being of all their birds. There was plenty of staff you could ask questions to relating to the feeding, habitat and well being of the birds.

The gardens themselves were full of small statues of birds, many small lakes one with a waterfall. A small steam train used to take you for a ride around the woodland and lakes and you were able to see many areas from this that you would have been unable to by foot. This was especially good for viewing the flamingos. There was one disabled carriage attached which also used to take double buggies. When open this was a wonderful day out.

Other services included

A children's area with climbing frames and tree swings.
Good rest room facilities with disabled access. These were very clean.
A Restaurant, which you could buy, hot meals and had an extensive menu.
A display using Birds of Prey. Their brilliant hunting skills were demonstrated.
Approximately 20 acres of ground to explore at your leisure.
Many tropical flowers and plants especially selected for the tropical and exotic birds.
Popcorn, drink and ice cream stalls.
Litterbins situated all over the park so hardly any litter to be seen
A small gift shop. This was expensive but good for children and adults alike. The range ran from stuffed toys to glass paperweights.

On closure The birds were dispatched to zoos and private owners. The woodland train was sold to a local private collector.

The member lucie glenn left this information in a comment which explains the closure

The Bird Gardens provided me and my family with many hours of happiness and unforgettable memories. My grandparents owned the bird gardens and put a lot of time and effort into making sure that everyone who visited it enjoyed it as much as they did. There were many reasons for its closure, my Grandparents passed away and there was no one who could take on the resposibility of running it. Due to ever increasing costs and an increase in the number of break-ins and bird theft it would have taken more money than we could find to keep the gardens open. For those of you who were able to see the Gardens I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and for those who missed it I don't think you'll visit anything like it. Sorry lucyglenn

Please ignore the boxes for price etc, as they do not refer to these now closed gardens.

Thank you for reading. Fionaxx 

...less