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Bristol Zoo: Weddings at Clifton Pavilion will cease to be if plans go ahead to convert venue into housing

You’ll no longer be able to tie the knot at the iconic building if plans go ahead

Sophie Wills
By Sophie Wills
Published 28th Mar 2022, 17:15 BST
Updated 29th Mar 2022, 08:00 BST

Clifton Pavilion has been a coveted spot for weddings for years - but all that could change if plans to sell off Bristol Zoo Gardens go ahead.

The Pavilion, in Bristol Zoo, opened in the 1920s for grand occasions and you can still hire out the landmark building for events today.

It’s a particular hit with those hoping to tie the knot thanks to its views over the west lawn, elegant architecture and guests having full access to the zoo itself.

Clifton Pavilion is a top spot for weddings and corporate events - but it could soon be converted into housing.
Clifton Pavilion is a top spot for weddings and corporate events - but it could soon be converted into housing.
Clifton Pavilion is a top spot for weddings and corporate events - but it could soon be converted into housing.

But last year the Bristol Zoological Society announced the zoo would pack up and move to its Wild Place Project site in South Gloucestershire after 186 years, in a move it said was ‘crucial’ for the attraction’s survival.

An artist’s impression of what the site could look like once finished if plans go ahead.
An artist’s impression of what the site could look like once finished if plans go ahead.
An artist’s impression of what the site could look like once finished if plans go ahead.

In a bid to preserve its legacy at Bristol Zoo Gardens while securing future income, the Society also wants to create housing at the site, including new-build apartments and the conversion of some of the zoo’s historic buildings - such as Clifton Pavilion.

So while you won’t be able to get hitched there if a planning application expected to be submitted in around a month’s time is successful, you might soon be able to live there.

Although it is not known exactly when the Pavilion would close to weddings, BristolWorld understands that they will still be going ahead this year before the zoo officially closes its Clifton site in 2022.

Under the same plans, which you can read about here, Bristol Zoo Gardens will also be opened to the public for free with a new playground, lake, cafe and conservation hub.

View of the lake as proposed for Bristol Zoo Gardens
View of the lake as proposed for Bristol Zoo Gardens
View of the lake as proposed for Bristol Zoo Gardens

Speaking to BristolWorld at a recent public meeting on the proposals, Bristol Zoological Society’s director of tranformation, Francesca Fryer, said the Society wanted to do everything it could to retain the ‘magic’ of the gardens regarding any future development.

She added: “We’ve been working with a number of key stakeholders like Bristol Council and Historic England and feel we’ve come to a good balanced resolution to most issues that have been raised.

“People are always going to have concerns but I think they understand the relationship between the development and the ability to offer a sustainable future to the gardens and the care that they need.”

Bristol