Animal artwork commemorates town's long lost zoo

A new mural has been painted to mark the time a town in Derbyshire was home to monkeys, lemurs and even a bear named Little Roosevelt.

Ripley once had a zoo operated for seven years by entrepreneur John Marshall until it was forced to close when the outbreak of World War One made it "impossible" to get food for the animals.

Artist Amy Vallance and Arts Award Bronze pupils from St John's Primary School in Ripley used collage techniques to create an artwork inspired by the animals, in the style of French artist Henri Matisse.

The creation was then painted on to Ripley Town Hall by Vallance and fellow artist Grace Calloway over four days.

Vallance said the mural was "celebrating a part of Ripley's history that not everybody knows about".

She said: "Now, as people enter Ripley, they can take a little trip down memory lane through the colour and creativity of the children."

Ripley Zoo, officially known as Marshall and Sons Zoo Gardens, was opened by Marshall in 1908 on Oxford Street.

According to Ripley and District Heritage Trust, the zoo contained an aviary, a monkey house and a museum with waxworks.

Animals housed there included birds, reptiles, exotic fish, a sea lion, raccoons, and Little Roosevelt - whose name lives on as a micropub on Oxford Street.

A blue commemorative plaque was installed in the town to mark the site of the zoo in July.

Councillor Chris Emmas-Williams, leader of Amber Valley Borough Council, said the zoo artwork "is a fantastic addition to Ripley" and "colourful, creative and full of character".

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