Banham: Zoo Experiences and Village History

Banham combines wildlife experiences at Banham Zoo with a rich architectural and local history. Two distinct themes can help you plan your visit: activities involving animals, and historic buildings and archaeological traces. If you are considering a stay in Banham, you can decide whether wildlife, village history, or a combination of both is the deciding factor.

Wildlife experiences at Banham Zoo

Zookeeper talks take place daily at Banham Zoo. The zoo also offers a free ride on the Safari Road Train. At the Discovery Centre, visitors can get to know reptiles and other smaller animals. Short animal-feeding experiences offer the chance to get particularly close to some species. The activities differ in their focus: talks with zookeepers, a ride, getting to know reptiles and smaller animals, and short feeding experiences. The timings also differ for planning purposes: talks take place daily, feeding experiences are short, and the ride is free.

Buildings and architectural history

St Mary the Virgin in Banham dates mainly from the 14th century. The church has a wooden knight effigy with crossed legs, dated to around 1340. An effigy is a figurative representation.

The historic houses also reflect different building periods. King’s Head Cottage in Banham is a significant 14th-century half-timbered house. Church Farmhouse on the Village Green dates from the early 17th century and is also built in half-timbering. Banham Hall is a large 16th-century house surrounded by a moat. The Old Guildhall dates from the late 16th century: it is a half-timbered building with wattle-and-daub infill and clay-brick infill. Infill refers to the material filling the spaces in a timber frame. The building periods therefore range from the 14th to the early 17th century; alongside the church are half-timbered houses and a house surrounded by a moat, representing different forms of construction.

Further traces of local history

The site of a Roman villa lies within the parish of Banham. The villa included a hypocaust, decorated wall plaster, and tesserae. A hypocaust is an ancient underfloor heating system; tesserae are small mosaic tiles. Together with the wall plaster, these details identify different elements of a Roman villa’s interior.

A 19th-century brickworks in Banham was converted into a tourist pleasure garden, which included an airship from the First World War.

The Village Green is lined with trees and characterised by old thatched houses. Its exact appearance may change over time.

Getting to Banham Zoo

Coach Services’ accessible bus route 37A stops only about a five-minute walk from the entrance to Banham Zoo. When travelling to the zoo, you can allow around five minutes to walk from the bus stop to the entrance.

Discover more destinations: Roughton, Heacham, Tivetshall St. Margaret, Swannington, Beetley, Hethersett, Lingwood, Burnham Market

For the broader travel overview: Norfolk.