Fire services were dispatched to Cowley Road just before 6pm yesterday evening to tackle the blaze.

Photos show the fire behind residential gardens, with black smoke billowing high.

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Cowley Road fire (Image: Contributed)

At least two fire engines were dispatched to the scene with multiple firefighters working to put out the blaze.

Photos sent to this newspaper show fire engines moving into position and the blaze itself seen from behind a garden.

It’s currently not known how the fire started or its exact location.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been contacted for more information.

Part wildlife encounter, part bushcraft retreat and part luxury camping experience, it offers families the chance to see the safari in a completely different light – quite literally once the gates close for the day.

The adventure begins where most visitors’ experiences end.

As the last day guests depart, sleepover participants are treated to a private guided walk through the Foot Safari.

Animal workshops at Knowsley Safari Sleepover (Image: Knowsley Safari)

Without the bustle of daytime crowds, the atmosphere changes entirely.

Giraffes browse quietly, meerkats remain alert on sentry duty, and the Amur tigers command attention with an effortless majesty that feels all the more striking in the fading evening light.

The slower pace allows children to ask questions, linger longer at enclosures and engage more deeply with the wildlife around them.

A welcome dinner – tasty burgers or pizzas and animal-themed doughnuts – is followed by what is, perhaps, the heart of the experience: gathering around a campfire as dusk settles over the safari.

Staff members strike an admirable balance between knowledgeable guides and enthusiastic hosts (Image: Knowsley Safari)

Bushcraft sessions replace digital distractions as families learn practical outdoor skills, sing together and hear stories as they toast marshmallows beneath an increasingly star-filled sky.

It is simple entertainment, but remarkably effective.

There is something undeniably captivating about sitting around an open fire while knowing that rhinos, zebras and bears are settling in for the night only a short distance away.

Accommodation comes in spacious explorer-style bell tents, thoughtfully prepared with proper beds and enough home comforts to ensure that this is camping without unnecessary hardship.

Knowsley Safari’s sleepover is part wildlife encounter, part bushcraft retreat and part luxury camping experience (Image: Knowsley Safari)

The novelty of spending the night surrounded by more than 500 animals – including Southern white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, Andean bears and Amur tigers – never quite fades.

The goats and geese in the next field served as a reminder for the children that this is no ordinary campsite.

The camping is run by The Outdoors People, who really know their stuff, and provide brilliant hands-on outdoor skills training, as well as setting up the fires, making the hot chocolates and providing welcome overnight support.

Toasting marshmallows Knowsley Safari Sleepover (Image: Knowsley Safari)

Morning arrives early, but willingly so.

Breakfast around the campfire provides another opportunity for families to sit together before boarding an exclusive safari drive through the reserve before the park opens to the public.

Watching lions bask in the early morning light, rhinos grazing peacefully and herds of zebra moving across the landscape before the day’s traffic arrives offers a perspective few visitors experience.

The accompanying Camp Knowsley programme elevates the experience beyond a simple overnight stay.

Throughout the visit, children can immerse themselves in woodland activities that include den building, fire-lighting, first aid demonstrations, water purification, pancake making over open flames and paracord bracelet crafting.

Activities are designed to encourage resilience, curiosity and confidence in the outdoors (Image: Knowsley Safari)

These are activities designed to entertain, but they also encourage resilience, curiosity and confidence in the outdoors.

What distinguishes the Safari Sleepover is its sense of authenticity.

Rather than relying on elaborate theming or artificial spectacle, it succeeds by giving families time and space to engage with nature.

Staff members strike an admirable balance between knowledgeable guides and enthusiastic hosts, while the pace of the programme allows moments of quiet appreciation alongside organised activity.

At £600 per tent accommodating up to four guests, the experience sits firmly in the premium category.

Yet the price includes exclusive wildlife encounters, accommodation, meals, guided activities and access to Camp Knowsley’s full programme – we made a full day of it afterwards, taking in both the sealion show and the birds of prey experience.

There are still three more dates this summer – August 8, 15 and 22 – find out more and book here.

For families seeking a memorable alternative to a conventional short break, it represents a thoughtfully curated experience rather than simply an overnight stay.

In an era when many family attractions compete through ever bigger rides and louder entertainment, Knowsley Safari has taken a different approach.

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By slowing the pace, encouraging outdoor exploration and offering privileged access to one of Britain’s best-known wildlife parks after dark, it has created something increasingly difficult to find: an experience that feels genuinely distinctive.

The children may remember the marshmallows, campfire songs and den building.

Adults are perhaps more likely to remember the stillness of the safari at sunset, the quiet anticipation before dawn and the unmistakable thrill of waking within earshot of lions, tigers, rhinos and giraffes.

Both, however, will leave with stories that linger long after the sleeping bags have been packed away.

Would you want to take part in a Knowsley Safari Sleepover? Let us know in the comments.

The funding is being distributed through South Oxfordshire District Council’s Councillor Community Grant Scheme, which offers up to £7,500 per councillor for non-profit organisations, including voluntary groups, and town and parish councils.

Georgina Heritage, cabinet member for communities at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Out of all the grants we offer this one is personal for our council members.

“We’re able to directly support organisations in our ward that we see make a difference to our communities every day.

“We give organisations plenty of time to get in touch with their ward member and discuss funding they need, but we would encourage them to get those emails or phone calls in early so that we can review the projects and funding being requested.”

Past recipients have included mental health support groups for children, sporting equipment, memorial benches, and solar panels for community buildings.

In the 2024/25 round, the charity TRAIN was awarded funding to help plan and set up activities for young people in Didcot and Wallingford over the summer holidays.

Ben Drabble, CEO of TRAIN, said: “For a lot of our young people, summer can be a really isolating time.

“This programme meant they had something to look forward to and experiences they’ll remember.

“Some of them did things they’d never done before.”

Applications for the 2024/25 round opened on Monday, August 17, and will close at 12pm on Friday, December 4.

Full details are available on the council’s grants webpage.