Banham Zoo

Near Framlingham Castle

Framlingham Castle is a large historic Norman castle in Suffolk, England, notable for its extensive medieval curtain walls with mural towers, Tudor period features, and surrounding deer park and lakes. It has served many roles including noble residence, poorhouse, and military defense, and is managed by English Heritage as a public tourist attraction.

Located in Framlingham

Framlingham is a historic market town in Suffolk, England, known for its medieval castle, traditional market, and cultural heritage, attracting tourists with its scenic walks and festivals.

2 miles from Hoveton Hall

Hoveton Hall is a Regency gault brick house with slate roof, surrounded by well-maintained gardens featuring a wide variety of plants and a restored 19th-century iron glasshouse. Visitors can explore both the indoor historic house and the outdoor gardens, with facilities including a cafe, picnic area, and accessibility features.

Near Castle Acre Priory

Castle Acre Priory is a historic Benedictine Cluniac priory ruin in Norfolk, England, featuring impressive remains such as the great west front and prior's lodging, set within the castle grounds. It offers a glimpse into medieval monastic life and has been a location for films and TV shows.

Near Rockland Marshes

Rockland Marshes is a peaceful nature reserve offering wheelchair-accessible trails and excellent wildlife viewing over waterways and marshlands, including Kingfishers and Otters.

2 miles from Banham Zoo

Banham Zoological Gardens is a 50-acre zoo in Norfolk, England, housing over 2,000 animals including birds, primates, and large mammals, with specialty exhibits like the Snow Cat Province and a Giraffe House.

3 miles from Strumpshaw Fen

Strumpshaw Fen is a nature reserve in Norfolk featuring reedbeds, woodlands, and meadows with diverse wildlife including kingfishers. Visitors can enjoy nature trails, bird hides, a visitor centre with refreshments, and child-friendly activities like den building. The site offers parking and is partially wheelchair accessible with some uneven trails and steps.

Near Columbine Hall

Columbine Hall is a moated medieval manor house set in 34 acres with gardens designed by a Chelsea Gold Medallist. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the house and garden, featuring an eclectic collection and tea with cakes. The venue offers a historical and garden experience with scheduled tours.

3 miles from Castle Acre Castle and town walls

Castle Acre Castle in Norfolk is a Grade I listed medieval motte-and-bailey castle ruin managed by English Heritage. Visitors can explore extensive defensive earthworks, the remains of its stone keep, and a largely intact bailey gatehouse, alongside historic medieval town walls.

3 miles from Oxburgh Hall

Oxburgh Hall is a moated Tudor country house in Norfolk featuring historic architecture, Victorian additions, notable religious concealments, needlework by Mary, Queen of Scots, and extensive gardens with woodland walks.

3 miles from Oxburgh Hall; Past to Present - Morning Tours

8 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)

A volunteer-led tour explores how Oxburgh Hall has changed over the past 500 years and the conservation work carried out during the Raise the Roof project. The tour follows the outside of the hall and lasts about 45 minutes.

2 miles from Surlingham Church Marsh

Surlingham Church Marsh is a small nature reserve ideal for bird watching around marshlands, reedbeds, and pools. Visitors can observe diverse birds like Marsh Harriers, Kingfishers, and warblers, along with seasonal wildflowers. The reserve is open 24 hours and free to the public but has no facilities like toilets or a café.

3 miles from Ickworth House

Ickworth House is a notable neoclassical country house near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, set in extensive parkland with historic ancient trees. Visitors can explore the house's art collections, Regency furniture, and architectural features, as well as the nearby Ickworth Church and parkland. The house also hosts events in its renovated West Wing.

3 miles from Stranger Folk at Ickworth Estate

13 Oct–8 Nov (next week)

Visitors use the Stranger Folk app to follow the Crone’s guidance on a folklore-themed Halloween adventure at Ickworth Estate, helping close gaps between the world of folklore and the real world.

2 miles from Grime's Graves

Grime's Graves is a Neolithic flint mining complex in Norfolk, England, featuring over 433 chalk shafts and a public shaft open for exploration, managed by English Heritage with an exhibition area onsite.

Located in Brandon

Brandon is a historic market town in Suffolk, England, known for its flint industry heritage and surrounded by Thetford Forest. It offers cultural sites, outdoor parks, and a walkable town center accessible by train and local public transport, appealing to tourists interested in history, nature, and community events.

2 miles from West Stow Hall

West Stow Hall is a historic timber-framed house in Suffolk featuring rare Elizabethan wall-paintings and significant 16th century architectural details, open for tours and private events with rich historical significance.

3 miles from Kirstead Hall

Kirstead Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor manor house in Norfolk known for its historic architecture, memorabilia including letters from Agatha Christie, and connections to significant military history. Visitors can explore the indoor historic house and view a unique collection of personal historical artifacts.

2 miles from The Bressingham Gardens

The venue is a collection of six linked gardens spanning 17 acres in Norfolk, featuring thousands of perennial plants, themed areas including fragrant and winter gardens, and accessible facilities. It offers free entry for RHS Members on specific days and provides refreshments and parking.

Located in Diss

Diss is a historic market town in Norfolk, England, with a picturesque centre, an ancient parish church, a regular market, and a railway station connecting it to Norwich and London. Visitors can enjoy cultural heritage and local shopping in a walkable town centre.

3 miles from Elsing Hall

Elsing Hall is a Grade 1 listed medieval moated manor house with visible historic fortifications and extensive gardens open to the public by appointment, showcasing historic architecture and a rich collection of plants.

Located in Dereham

Dereham is a historic market town in Norfolk, England, featuring notable architecture, a heritage railway, cultural festivals, and a range of leisure and community facilities.

3 miles from Crow’s Hall

Crow's Hall is a restored Tudor manor house with a large moat and historic outbuildings, offering guided tours in a scenic garden setting, with refreshments available on site.

Near Saxtead Green Windmill

Saxtead Green Post Mill is a historic Grade II* listed post mill dating back to the late 18th century, featuring traditional milling machinery and maintained by English Heritage. Visitors can explore the mill indoors to learn about its working history and restoration.

3 miles from Linden House

Linden House in Eye, Suffolk is a historic Georgian townhouse with Tudor origins offering guided tours showcasing portraits, family history, and links to suffragette sisters, located in a charming town with notable historic buildings. Visitors can enjoy talks and refreshments during visits.

2 miles from Bruisyard Hall

Bruisyard Hall is a historic Tudor house established in 1354, notable for its royal connections, including the Countess of Ulster and a priest's hole. It offers guided tours within a 700-acre estate and serves refreshments on site.

2 miles from Denton Castle

Denton Castle features the earthwork remains of a motte and bailey castle built after 1088. Visitors can explore the historic castle earthworks set within the scenic Darrow Wood pasture owned by the National Trust.

Located in Swaffham

Swaffham is a market town in Norfolk known for its historic market place, local history museum, wind turbine landmarks, and connection to notable figures like Howard Carter. It offers a walkable town centre with public transport access and rich local culture.

Near Wyken Hall

Wyken Garden is a modern private garden designed with a series of traditional old-style gardens including knot, herb, kitchen gardens, meadows, and a wooded maze, complimenting an Elizabethan house. It features champion trees and a notable restaurant, offering a rich outdoor garden experience.

3 miles from Lakenheath Fen

Lakenheath Fen is a vast RSPB nature reserve in Suffolk transformed from former farmland into wetlands and reedbeds, providing habitat for diverse wildlife including kingfishers, cranes, otters and water voles. Visitors can explore accessible walking trails, scenic viewpoints, and enjoy facilities including a visitor centre cafe. Dogs are allowed on designated paths and there are outdoor activities for children.

2 miles from Haughley House

Haughley House is a late-medieval manor house featuring historic tours of the interior and extensive gardens, adjacent to the ruins of a Norman castle. Visitors can explore various floors of the house, see notable historical features and collections, and enjoy the surrounding gardens.

2 miles from Euston Hall

Euston Hall is a historic Palladian manor house in Thetford, Suffolk, featuring fine Stuart art collections, beautifully landscaped gardens by renowned designers, a historic watermill, and the Church of St Genevieve. The venue offers guided hall tours, extensive parkland exploration, and onsite cafe facilities.

2 miles from Bedfield Hall

Bedfield Hall is a historic ninth-century moated site adjacent to an eleventh-century church in Suffolk, offering guided tours through the church, garden, and house with period features, with access by paid tickets including for Historic Houses members. The venue also hosts occasional tours and provides a unique artistic and architectural historic experience.

3 miles from Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds

Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is a historic Regency theatre, Grade I listed and restored to its original 1819 condition. It offers a diverse program of drama, music and comedy and is operated by the National Trust as a working theatre with a historic Georgian atmosphere.

2 miles from Active Ickworth: Social Walk

13 Oct, 27 Oct…

A relaxed, group social walk around the grounds and woodland routes at Ickworth Estate, covering 2–3 miles in about an hour. A walking lead guides the group at a comfortable pace, with breaks to enjoy the views.

3 miles from North Elmham Chapel

North Elmham Chapel is a historic outdoor site featuring a small Norman chapel built over an earlier Saxon cathedral site. It was later converted into a fortified manor house in the 14th century and offers visitors graphic panels narrating its history. The site is freely accessible during daylight hours and has limited parking nearby.

3 miles from Haughley Park

Haughley Park is a Grade 1 listed 17th-century red-brick manor house with Georgian style additions, set in six acres of landscaped gardens including woodland and a walled kitchen garden. The property features a large fish pond, manicured lawns, and a 17th-century barn available for weddings and events, offering both indoor and outdoor experiences.