Zoo Education Department and Visitor Shelter at Dudley Zoo is a Grade II listed building in the Dudley local planning authority area, England. First listed on 20 August 1970. Education department and visitor shelter.

Zoo Education Department and Visitor Shelter at Dudley Zoo

WRENN ID
hushed-tracery-moss
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Dudley
Constituency
Dudley MP: Sonia Kumar (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
20 August 1970
Type
Education department and visitor shelter
Address
Zoo Education Department and Visitor Shelter at Dudley Zoo, 2 the Broadway, West Midlands, DY1 4QB
OS grid reference
SO 946 907
Coordinates
52.51493, -2.08046
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Zoo Education Department and Visitor Shelter at Dudley Zoo is a building designed in the 20th century. It has a serpentine shape on plan, with a rectangular block at the rear, and is constructed from reinforced concrete.

The building is situated at the top of a steep slope, resulting in a single-storey appearance from the main (east) elevation and two storeys at the rear. The front elevation features a continuous series of curves, alternating between convex and concave shapes. A low wall, originally part of the parapet used in larger buildings designed by Tecton for the site, has been converted for use here. This wall once had its coping raised on elliptical-section steel struts, providing a surface for adults to lean on and allowing children to see the animals without being lifted.

Above this low wall, the previously open elevation is now fully glazed. The ends feature small-paned mullioned and transomed timber windows, while the central section has metal-framed mullioned windows with some small opening panes. The main entrance is a recessed double-doorway, with two additional entrances spaced along the range, reflecting the original openings into the building. The rear elevation consists of two storeys, with the basement slightly recessed and the upper floor supported by columns. Both storeys have small-paned mullioned and transomed windows set in strongly horizontal openings.

Inside, the construction is highlighted by 9-inch diameter columns that support a flat roof slab, which is flush with the underside of the beams, creating a fully-flush ceiling between the columns.

Local climate

Zoo Education Department and Visitor Shelter at Dudley Zoo receives an average of 790 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 58% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 72% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 38 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 73% of listed buildings. Of these, 19 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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