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[[File: CR_828_Safari_Park_20120325.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Gala visitor CR 828 passes the Safari Park in 2012]]The '''West Midland Safari and Leisure Park''', often referred to as Bewdley Safari Park, opened in adjoins the spring of 1973 under its original name of the West Midland Safari ParkSVR. It attracted 700,000 people in 2018 and features a four-mile safari drive through. In January 2019 it was acquired by the Looping Group, a French amusement park operator, which intends to "develop the park into an even more exciting family destination".<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-46813530 'West Midland Safari Park bought by French firm', BBC News, 9 January 2019] (Retrieved 13 January 2019)</ref> It is situated located north of the SVR Railway between [[Bewdley Tunnel]] and [[Bewdley]], and can be seen on the right when travelling towards Bewdley from [[Kidderminster]]. The curve in the line at that point has become known on the railway as "'''Safari Park Curve'''".

==History of the area==The OS Map of 1883 shows that the northern half of the area now occupied by the Safari Park was formerly the large estate of '''Spring Grove'''.<ref>[https://maps.nls.uk/view/101586016 OS Map Worcestershire XIV.NW, Published: 1883]</ref> Spring Grove House is Grade II listed and was built by local chemical manufacturer Samuel Skey between 1787 and 1790.<ref>[https://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/the-wyre-forest/ RevolutionaryPlayers.org.uk] (retrieved 4 March 2021)</ref><ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1099961 Historic England] (Retrieved 17 March 2021)</ref> The house was badly damaged by fire in 2006.<ref>[https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2006/12/26/blaze-wrecks-christmas-day/ Express and Star] (retrieved 4 March 2021)</ref> Skey's chemical works was situated on the west bank of the River Severn, about half a mile north of the current Bewdley bridge<ref>[https://wfhrg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ForestClearingFeb2016.pdf Wyre Forest Historical Research Group] (retrieved 4 March 2021)</ref> and the same distance south of [[Dowles Bridge]]. The same map shows the area south of Spring Grove to have been open heathland, much as it is today.  ==The Safari Park==The Safari Park opened in the spring of 1973 under its original name of the West Midland Safari Park. It attracted 700,000 people in 2018 and features a four-mile safari drive through. In January 2019 it was acquired by the Looping Group, a French amusement park operator, which intends to "develop the park into an even more exciting family destination".<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-46813530 'West Midland Safari Park bought by French firm', BBC News, 9 January 2019] (Retrieved 13 January 2019)</ref>  Two areas of the park are visible from the railway, both lying within the "Safari Drive Through".<ref>[https://www.wmsp. co.uk/safari-drive-through/ WMSP website]</ref> Travelling towards Bewdley, the first area is the '"African Plains'", which most notably includes the Park’s '''southern white rhinos'''. The  After passing the [[Stourport Triangle]] the second area , "The Borderlands", is home to the Park's '''Bactrian camels'''. Bactrian camels, also known as Mongolian camels, are native to the steppes of Central Asia. They have two humps on their backs, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary camel. Until 2020 the area was formerly known as "Elephant Valley', " and was home of the Park’s three African elephants. The young bull elephant ''Sutton'' was born in May 2014 and was named in memory of West Midlands teenager Stephen Sutton. Stephen established a Teenage Cancer Trust charity and hugged Sutton's mother ''Five'' as part of his 'bucket list' of things to do before he died. The third elephant is Sutton's aunt ''Latabe''.<ref>[https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/west-midlands-safari-park-baby-7256738 Birmingham Mail] (retrieved 11 March 2020)</ref> The elephants were moved to a new location towards the middle of the Park in 2021.  <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">Safari_Park_Rhinos_20140712.jpg|Southern white rhinosSafari_Park_Camels_20210526.jpg|Bactrian camelsSafari_Park_Elephants_20190819.jpg|Elephants (2019)</gallery>

In late 1973 the SVR received an approach from the proprietors of the Safari Park for co-operation with them at [[Bewdley]].<ref>SVR News 30, "THE PROSPECT FOR 1974", [[Richard Dunn|R. H. Dunn]]</ref> The SVR reached Bewdley in [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1974|summer 1974]], at which time SVR News announced that "...''the Station at Bewdley will shortly be available for the use of visitors to the West Midland Safari Park by means of a footbridge recovered from the former [[Burlish Halt]], to be erected on the island platform''.<ref>SVR News 32, "THE RE-OPENING OF THE RAILWAY TO BEWDLEY, An article from the "Kidderminster Shuttle", [[Richard Dunn|R. H. Dunn]]</ref>. However by late 1975 the suggested project was in abeyance due to a lack of labour and finance<ref>SVR News 38</ref>.

On [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2010-2019#2012 | Thursday 24 May]] the Olympic Torch arrived on the SVR. [[GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor | 7812 Erlestoke Manor]] carried the torch between Bewdley and Kidderminster, pausing for a photo opportunity with the two cow elephants, ''Five'' and ''Latabe''.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18194673 BBC News] ''Flag-waving Elephants join Olympic torch relay'' (includes iPlayer clip)</ref> A bull calf was born to ''Five'' in May 2014 and named ''Sutton''.

*BBC News reported in 2011 that the SVR was "not against the idea" of a new station to join the Park with the railway.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-13546830 BBC News] ''West Midlands Safari Park considers new railway station'' (Retrieved 26 November 2015)</ref>.

*Abellio, the new [[Mainline Operators Servicing Kidderminster|mainline franchisee]], in 2017 published plans showing:

 ==History of the area==*The OS Map of 1883 shows that the northern half of the area now occupied by the Safari Park 2022 updated draft West Midlands Rail Investment Strategy was formerly silent on services in the large estate of '''Spring Grove'''.Severn Valley<ref>[https://mapswmre.nlsorg.uk/viewour-strategies/101586016 OS Map Worcestershire XIV.NW, Published: 1883]</ref> Spring Grove House was built by local chemical manufacturer Samuel Skey between 1787 and 1790.<ref>[https://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.ukwest-midlands-rail-investment-strategy/consultation-on-the-wyrewest-forest/ RevolutionaryPlayers.org.uk] (retrieved 4 March 2021)</ref> The house was badly damaged by fire in 2006.<ref>[https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2006/12/26/blazemidlands-wrecksrail-christmasinvestment-day/ Express and Star] (retrieved 4 March 2021)<strategy/ref> Skey's chemical works was situated Consultation on the west bank of the River SevernWest Midlands Rail Investment Strategy, about half a mile north of the current Bewdley bridge<ref>[https://wfhrg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ForestClearingFeb2016.pdf Wyre Forest Historical Research GroupNovember 2022] (retrieved 4 March 2021Retrieved 25 November 2022)</ref> and the same distance south of [[Dowles Bridge]]. The same map shows the area south of Spring Grove to have been open heathland, much as it is today.

*[http://www.wmsp.co.uk/ Safari Park web site]<br> [[Category:Featured articles]]