A hotel which has its own zoological gardens has been shut down, it was revealed yesterday. Lenwade Country House Hotel and Zoological Gardens has been closed by its management, Taylor James and Christopher Buxton.

A hotel which has its own zoological gardens has been shut down, it was revealed yesterday.

Lenwade Country House Hotel and Zoological Gardens has been closed by its management, Taylor James and Christopher Buxton.

The pair reopened the business in June 2007 after restoring the hotel which had closed earlier that year with the loss of 18 jobs.

They had applied for a zoo licence for the hotel, which they leased off Paul Rogers, director of Highmay, which owns the building as well as Lakeside Country Club in Lyng, in October 2007.

Animals at the hotel include marmosets, llamas, wallabies and ring-tailed lemurs.

Last night Mr Taylor said that the hotel was closed but that they did not currently wish to comment.

The hotel, on the Norwich to Fakenham road, has 38 en-suite rooms.