Walton Hall Children's Zoo (Warrington, UK) After spending a couple of hours bird watching (trying to see the young kingfishers) at the Moore Nature Reserve my wife and I decided to see if much had changed over the last 5 years at the nearby Children's Zoo at Walton Hall Gardens on the outskirts of Warrington. The answer to which is 'no'. The mini zoo is free though you pay a couple of pounds for the parking. There is a basic cafe in the out buildings of the hall however the area is mainly focused on children with plenty of open space and well constructed play grounds. The zoo has solid footpaths with wood and wire enclosures. There is a ranger always present to help with any questions. The park is very well supported by the local community. Species wise the stars are the red squirrels. The zoo has several squirrel enclosures and is a full participant in the nationwide breeding schemes. Their main liaison and guidance is from the Welsh Mountain Zoo (one hour's drive away). Most of the other stock is domestic with only the Transylvanian Naked Neck chickens catching our attention. In summary credit to them for their key role in educating the community but not worth an enthusiast detouring. Regards, Paul M.
