brian1941 Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 does anyone remember bear pit still in botanical gardens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Couple of photos here... http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=v01857 http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s04024 But i vaguely remember a proper 'pit' with railings round the top from my 1940s childhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandad.Malky Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 There is one here:- http://www.wentworthgardencentre.co.uk/page4.htm One particularly unusual feature to be found in the gardens is the 'Bear Pit'. Often mistaken for an 'ice house', the chamber has contained bears within living memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steptoad Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 There is one here:- http://www.wentworthgardencentre.co.uk/page4.htm One particularly unusual feature to be found in the gardens is the 'Bear Pit'. Often mistaken for an 'ice house', the chamber has contained bears within living memory. There's a bear in residence in the bear pit right now. Wasn't the bear pit sold to some American park for some ungodly amount, only for them to find out that the stonework wasn't included in the price only the hole? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asaw Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Yes remember going to see it when I was a child in the 50's. Didn't know it had gone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_santos Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Has it gone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian1941 Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 botanical gardens--opened--june--1936. -------------------------------------------- the bear pit was another attraction of the gardens opinion`s vary as to the purpose of the pit, which appears to have been in existence in 1836. when the gardens was completed, one theory is that the pit was used for bear baiting ( now illegal ). but from letters in the sheffield newspaper in 1936, several senior citizens stated that they clearly remembered as children been taken to see the 2 bears in the pit. they recalled that a large tree trunk stood in the centre of the pit, with 3 platforms at intervals on the branches, and food was thrown by children onto the platforms. the bears seem to have been last seen in the pit about 1870,--and a writer to the newspaper stated that the reason for thier disappearance,--was due to an unfortunate incident ,--when a nurse held a child over the rails to see the bears and the bears clawed the child to death. ------------------------------------------- the bear pit is a grade 2 listed structure dating from the 1800s.-- the metal sculpture of a bear--by david mayne was installed in march 2006 and is part of the riddle trail.----------------- =================================== the duke of norfolk, duke devonshire open the grounds in 1836 june. tickets were available at 25 shillings-now 10p, no expence was spared on refreshments and enterainment. in the glass house were monkeys--- eagles--a fox--and deer--snakes-- tropical birds.------the public was only allowed entry on special days for a fee 1, shilling- now 5p considering the wages at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Has it gone? No it hasn't gone, it's still very much there and a large bronze statue of a bear was installed in it when the Botanical Gardens were renovated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 =================================== the duke of norfolk, duke devonshire open the grounds in 1836 june. tickets were available at 25 shillings-now 10p, no expence was spared on refreshments and enterainment. in the glass house were monkeys--- eagles--a fox--and deer--snakes-- tropical birds.------the public was only allowed entry on special days for a fee 1, shilling- now 5p considering the wages at the time. 25 shillings is not 10p. 25 shillings was £1.1/0 one pound one shilling or a guinea (£1.05 in new money) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodens Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 25 shillings is not 10p. 25 shillings was £1.1/0 one pound one shilling or a guinea (£1.05 in new money) Ooops! - 25 shillings was actually £1. 5s. 0d, or in funny-money £1. 25p. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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