60th Anniversary Appeal

Cine film from the early years of Longleat has been unearthed on the eve of the 60^th anniversary of the Wiltshire Safari Park in 2026.

Godfrey Chivers, 75, from Surrey, re-discovered the footage which shows people picnicking by giraffes, the famous lions and the boat cruise and shared it with his grand-daughter Davina, who is Events Manager at Longleat.

The film shows the estate five years after Longleat first opened its doors for the first drive-through Safari outside of Africa in April 1966.

Godfrey said: “It’s footage from a 1971 coach trip stop at Longleat after visiting Stonehenge. It was an amazing day out and our first Safari visit, so everything was new to all.”

Head of Operations Scott Ashman said: “We are sure many people will have footage and pictures from those early days, and it would be great to see and share during our anniversary year.

“Lots of things have changed over the years but we have continued to focus on conservation while ensuring we have a wide and varied programme of events and activities for people to enjoy as part of our day ticket.

“There’s so much to squeeze in with a mix of heritage and habitat. We know different generations of the same families have created memories at Longleat and we’d like to create displays of these in 2026.”

People can send footage and pictures to communications@longleat.co.uk