Anti-creationists often ridicule the biblical account of Noah’s Ark, saying it would be impossible to fit all the animals inside it.

For instance, two evolutionists, overlooking creation models, claim: “His ark would have had to find room for something like 1 million species of insect, 25,000 species of bird, 2,500 species of amphibians, 6,000 species of reptiles, and several thousand species of mammals, not to mention cultures of tens of thousands of species of microorganisms, all identified without the aid of a microscope.”1

However, John Woodmorappe refuted such criticisms in his book Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study,2 and estimated there were about 16,000 animals aboard. One important point is that kind is not the modern ‘species’; Woodmorappe’s figures equate the kind with the modern ‘genus’, whereas in many cases it could be the ‘family’ or even the ‘order’. Also, no marine creatures were on board as intentional passengers. The median size of all animals on the Ark would have been that of a small rat, while only about 11% would have been larger than a sheep.

The dimensions given in Genesis 6:15—300 cubits long and 50 cubits wide—can be hard to visualise. Even the smallest cubit3 of 18 inches would result in an Ark 138 m × 23 m × 14 m (450 ft × 75 ft × 45 ft), i.e. a volume of about 44,400 m3 (1.52 million cu. feet).

Now, however, visitors to the beautiful National Trust4 Garden at Trengwainton, near Penzance, Cornwall, UK, can see for themselves just how vast an area that is. The kitchen garden there, surrounded by brick walls, is divided into five sections of equal size. Archives show that it was well known locally that the walled garden was built to the dimensions of Noah’s Ark as stated in the Bible. When the kitchen gardens walls are measured, they do indeed match these dimensions.
Archives show that it was well known locally that the walled garden was built to the dimensions of Noah’s Ark.

The man mainly responsible for shaping this garden in the 1800s was Sir Rose Price. As the 1st Baronet Price of Trengwainton, Sir Rose was the son of a wealthy Jamaican sugar planter. He created the garden in 1814, using brick, a warmer but more expensive material than the local granite. This was no mean feat. A kiln had to be purchased to fire the bricks on site, and two shiploads of materials had to be transported from Somerset—240 km (150 miles) away!5 Inside the walls he built a series of compartments with raised beds, angled to best catch the winter sun. Although similar beds were built in other gardens, those at Trengwainton are believed to be the last remaining of their kind. The raised beds enabled early crops of vegetables.

On discovering the significance of the dimensions of the walled garden, the National Trust erected a wooden viewing platform near the top of one of the walls which enables visitors to view the dimensions and visualise how huge Noah’s Ark really was. Visitors can also wander around and imagine for themselves how many animals could be fitted into such an expanse.

There is no doubt about it—Noah’s Ark was BIG! And don’t forget it had three storeys!