First safari park outside Africa 'scandalised' people

"People were quite scandalised, nervous, terrified about the possibility of what could potentially go wrong - bringing 50 lions to the Wiltshire countryside."

Sixty years ago Henry Thynne, the 6th Marquess of Bath, opened the Lions of Longleat drive-through attraction with the help of circus owner Jimmy Chipperfield.

He had already become the first to open an English stately home to the public, and this new venture took the securing of Longleat's financial future to a whole new level.

As the park marks its 60th anniversary, the 8th Marquess - Ceawlin Thynn - said his grandfather would be "proud" the attraction has become a national institution.

Over the years, the park has expanded and developed. It is now home to more than 120 species, many of them endangered.

The current Lord Bath manages the estate with his wife Emma and they live there with their two young sons.

Lord Bath acknowledged his grandfather's vision was "a gamble".

"But it was a little bit more than that. It was forging through a Rubicon that was never forged through before. It was debated in the Houses of Parliament," he said.

"It was a huge mountain to climb, a huge endeavour, and one he managed to push over the line. My grandfather really created an entire new industry that hadn't existed before.

"He was eccentric for sure. He was exacting, charming and merciless in equal measure. The grandpa I knew was a very mellowed man, so I got to experience more of the charm side.

"I think he would be proud on multiple fronts - that Longleat's grown, the attendance has grown so much and that Longleat has really become a national institution."

Longleat has been in Lord Bath's family for 16 generations. He admitted there could be some "push and pull" when it comes to serving the visitors while protecting the estate's heritage.

He said the attraction "wouldn't have happened" had the Elizabethan house not provided an "anchor" for the wider grounds.

"There's a symbiotic relationship between the two," he added.

Lord Bath grew up at Longleat and was a pupil at the local school, returning on the school bus each day.

"Seeing the children taking an interest, running around, pretending to be the ghost and making ghostly noises as the tours go by - as I did when I was a child - it's hugely meaningful," he said.

He remembers forging a childhood bond with one animal in particular.

"We had a brown bear. A baby brown bear in what was Pets Corner," he said.

"I would go in and have a cuddle with this bear after school every day. You wouldn't be allowed to do that today! But that's a standout moment."

As for the Longleat legacy that will eventually pass to his children, Lord Bath said he was keen not to overwhelm them.

He said: "Really at the moment it's just letting them become accustomed to it without any sense of pressure, enjoy running around, riding their bikes and playing in the mud.

"So we haven't had that sort of sit down moment of 'you know son, one day...' They're still young."

But he acknowledged that passing on that legacy eventually would be "a wonderful thing".

"It's a very hackneyed expression but it's a huge privilege. It really is," he said.

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