 Until 2006 a family of peacocks had been in residence for at least 70 years.In 2012 the gardens was one of the release sites for a new population of the endangered Tansy beetle and, as of 2015, is one of the best places to see them in the wild.There is a geological oddity close to the main gates, consisting of a large boulder of pink granite that was discovered during construction of the city's railway station.