Old Hurst: Zoo, Gardens and Architectural History

Several highlights stand out for a trip to Old Hurst in Cambridgeshire: Johnsons Zoo and tropical gardens, the architectural history of St Peter’s Old Hurst, historic buildings, and section VBG13 of the Via Beata. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Old Hurst, it may help to decide on your main interest first: wildlife, architecture, or a walking route. This way, you can plan around your interests.

Animals, gardens and farming traditions

Johnsons Zoo is home to over 100 animals; this number may change. Johnsons of Old Hurst also has tropical gardens. Johnsons of Old Hurst has been firmly rooted in Old Hurst’s farming traditions in Cambridgeshire for over a century. The Johnsons Farm Shop offers meat raised on the farm, local dairy products, and British fruit and vegetables. As product availability may change, check the current selection in advance. There are several different interests to choose from: wildlife at the zoo, gardens, and farm produce at the Farm Shop.

Church and architectural history

St Peter’s Old Hurst was largely rebuilt and slightly extended in the late 13th century. The church is open to everyone on Wednesdays and Sundays for private prayer or as a quiet place. As this visitor information may change, check for current notices in advance. The chancel of the Church of St Peter contains a piscina pillar from the late 12th century and a 13th-century font. The pillar therefore predates the extensive rebuilding, while the font also dates from the 13th century. To understand the church, it is worth considering its building history and individual architectural features separately.

Two other buildings offer a comparison of construction date and building type. Trinity Hall Farmhouse is an early 19th-century house with coloured whitewashed Gault brickwork and a slate roof. Stag and Hounds Public House is a mid-19th-century inn, also with coloured whitewashed Gault brickwork and a slate roof. This makes it possible to compare a farmhouse and an inn with the same material and roof description but different dates.

Via Beata and milestone

Section VBG13 of the Via Beata passes through Old Hurst and across fields and wooded paths. Route conditions and waymarking may change, so check both before setting out. The milestone on the A141 stands north of the junction with Ramsey Road. Its inscription gives four miles to St Ives and five miles to Ramsey. The two reference points serve different purposes: VBG13 identifies a route section through Old Hurst, while the milestone gives distances to two named destinations.

Discover more destinations: Arrington, Boxworth, Cambourne, Stretham, Brampton, Girton, Little Stukeley, Whittlesey

For the broader travel overview: Cambridgeshire.