With a lack of any research to build my project on I looked back to a brief from last year that I really enjoyed working on. My work on the bear pit in Headingley was thoroughly enjoyable as I was learning something new about where I live, this is what made it enjoyable for me to complete. Applying this school of thought to my new project I set out to find some more local history to base my project around.
Reading through a history forum I learnt that the bear pit was originally part of a zoo in leeds over 150 years ago: 'Leeds Botanical Gardens and Zoo'. The zoo closed in 1908 and the land was sold for housing development. This original plan (below) for the zoo and gardens appears to be a very grand establishment spanning across a large part of Leeds.
More interestingly however is the application of this map to a shape I spotted on google earth in the area the zoo existed. The houses would have been built around the plot before it was sold making the outline of where the gardens existed very clear from above. The plot here spans over a large area in Hyde Park, it even covers the areas where CO OP and the train station now exist.
This information excited me, to think that where I live now along with thousands of other students was a zoo just over 100 years ago. I think that this information is of great interest and will add substance to my project. Researching further I plan to try and find landmarks left by the zoo and gardens as well as a visit to Leeds main library in an attempt to find old records of the zoo.
I feel that this is something people that live in Hyde park could get excited about, I could perhaps have an event or exhibition inform the people that live here. Or maybe base a project aorund the student life in Hyde Park compared to that of a zoo (students - animals, get it?).
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