Beale Wildlife Park

From Private Estate to Public Wildlife Park

Gilbert Beale was a farmer and passionate peacock breeder who, in 1956, decided to gift his 350-acre Thames-side estate to the public. He established the Child-Beale Trust as a non-profit charitable organisation, converting the land between Pangbourne and Lower Basildon from private farmland into an open park. The peacocks he bred became the park's first residents, and their descendants still roam freely across the lawns and gardens today, giving the site its early local nickname of "The Peacock Farm."

The park expanded steadily from its origins as an ornamental bird collection. Themed aviaries for African, Asian and Australian species were added through the following decades, and from 2007 the collection broadened significantly with the arrival of meerkats, prairie dogs, tamarins and lemurs. The wildlife park now houses over 160 species of animals and birds, with active breeding programmes for endangered species including Bali starlings, green peafowl and mountain peacock pheasants. Several birds bred at the park have been released back into the wild as part of international conservation efforts.

What to See and Do

The park divides roughly into three areas: animal collections, gardens, and play facilities. Mammal enclosures are home to meerkats, Asian short-clawed otters, ring-tailed lemurs, wallabies, capybaras, bat-eared foxes and yellow mongooses, among others. A deer park allows visitors to walk among fallow deer, while Shetland ponies and various farm animals provide a more hands-on experience for younger children. Daily animal talks and feeding sessions run throughout the park.

The ornamental gardens and woodland trails stretch down to the River Thames, with decorative bridges crossing small lakes and well-maintained flower beds providing seasonal colour. The one-mile Beale Railway, a narrow gauge line that has operated since the 1980s, runs diesel locomotive Sir Humphrey Davy on a loop from Howard's Halt near the entrance through most of the zoo, carrying up to 50 passengers per trip. Indoor and outdoor play areas, a paddling pool, splash zone and sand pits are spread across the grounds.

Planning Your Visit

Beale Wildlife Park is open daily from 10am, with closing times at 5pm during the main season from March to November. Last entry is at 4pm and attractions begin closing at 4:30pm. The park is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Summer weekdays outside school holidays are the quietest times to visit, with shorter queues for the train and play areas.

The site is largely pushchair and wheelchair accessible, though some paths are on grass and may be uneven in wet weather. A cafe and gift shop are on site, and picnics can be brought in and eaten at tables and benches dotted around the grounds. Free parking is available. The park sits roughly 50 minutes from central London by car, or a short taxi ride from Pangbourne station, making it a practical day trip from the capital or a straightforward outing from anywhere in the Thames Valley.