The Old Bear Pit

The Old Bear Pit is a bear pit located in the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens, dating from the mid-19th century and restored in the mid-20th century. It features rock-faced rusticated masonry and includes two circular castellated turrets. Each turret has a round-arched entrance on the left and right sides, connected by a wall with a Venetian-type gateway and voussoirs to a central round arch. On the eastern side, the circular bear pit is lined with brick and linked to the turret wall by two tunnels. The western side has a paved area and a low retaining wall that curves at the ends. The Gardens were opened in 1840, designed by William Billington, a Wakefield engineer, and Edward Davies, a landscape gardener. Visitors could view the bears from the tops of the turrets. After several changes in ownership, the Gardens were divided into building plots and sold off starting in 1869. The structure was measured and recorded in 1987.