Whipsnade
Encyclopedia
Whipsnade is a small village and civil parish in the county of Bedfordshire
. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills
, about 2.5 miles South-South-West of Dunstable
. It is the home of Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
, as well as the famous ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, and is the namesake of Whipsnade Park Golf club, although it is actually in neighbouring Dagnall
.
The local Wildlife Trust
manages a small nature reserve
north of the village at Sallowsprings (51.8559°N 0.5391°W).
Edward John Eyre
, explorer of Australia
, was born in Whipsnade in 1815.
A hill figure can be found in the site. The figure is shaped like a lion. It was made for Whipsnade Zoo. During the Second World War, this chalk image of a lion on Bison Hill, owned by Whipsnade Zoo, was covered with a black sheet in order not to attract attention from the German bomber planes.
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
, about 2.5 miles South-South-West of Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
. It is the home of Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral is a 9.5 acre garden in the village of Whipsnade in Bedfordshire, England. It is planted in the approximate form of a cathedral, with grass avenues for nave, chancel, transepts, chapels and cloisters and "walls" of different species of trees.The Tree Cathedral was planted...
, as well as the famous ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, and is the namesake of Whipsnade Park Golf club, although it is actually in neighbouring Dagnall
Dagnall
Dagnall is a village in the parish of Edlesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England.The place name is derived from the Old English for "Daegga's Knoll". In manorial rolls of 1196 it was listed as Dagenhale....
.
The local Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the City of Peterborough in England....
manages a small nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
north of the village at Sallowsprings (51.8559°N 0.5391°W).
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
, explorer of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, was born in Whipsnade in 1815.
A hill figure can be found in the site. The figure is shaped like a lion. It was made for Whipsnade Zoo. During the Second World War, this chalk image of a lion on Bison Hill, owned by Whipsnade Zoo, was covered with a black sheet in order not to attract attention from the German bomber planes.