20 Attractions to Explore Near Hamerton Zoo Park

Barnwell Castle is a strongly fortified manorial residence built during the period of the Second Baron’s War (1264-1267), which was at the forefront of medieval military architecture in Britain; It is quadrilateral in shape with cylinder towers on the northeast, northwest and southwest corners. On the southeast corner is a twin-towered gatehouse. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Holme Fen is a thriving nature reserve across 657 acres of landscape. Holme Fen is also an island, although not the kind of island you might expect. It's one of the few tiny areas of surviving wild fen to exist among hundreds of square miles of arable fields.

Brampton Wood SSSI is a 133-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Cambridgeshire, owned and managed by The Wildlife Trusts for Beds, Cambs & Northants as a nature reserve. You can spend many hours roaming the trails and verdant spaces here at Brampton Reserve. One of the peaceful area which offers a natural living in the centre of woods.

The Great Fen is a vast fenland landscape between Peterborough and Huntingdon. It is one of the largest restoration projects in the country, and aims to create a 3,700 hectare wetland and aims to connect Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserve.

A beautiful and small lake which was created in 1965 to provide people with drinking water and was immediately colonized by wildlife. The nature reserve surrounds the western side of the reservoir and contains ancient and plantation woodlands, grasslands, and wetland habitats such as reedbeds, willow, and open water. It is also one of the prime bird-watching sites in the county, with rarer visitors such as osprey and the occasional Slavonian grebe and so more.

​Barnwell Country Park comprises 37 acres of lakes, riverbank and meadows to explore, situated close to the historic market town of Oundle.There is a range of walks around the park and you can download or pick up maps to help you find your way around. The walks are waymarked along the way. There is a nature trail and an orienteering map. Plus activity packs for kids and scavenger hunts. The park has a woodland adventure play area and a hobbit garden for toddlers.

Hinchingbrooke House is an English stately home in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, now part of Hinchingbrooke School. This Tudor country house built around an early 13th-century nunnery. Located in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire it has now a stunning wedding and events venue. With its historical features and exclusive use of the extensive grounds and rooms it is the perfect place for all of life’s celebrations.

Oundle Museum is an award winning Accredited Museum located in the former Courthouse of the beautiful stone built Market Town in Northamptonshire. The history of the town is evident from many of the current houses over 300 years old yet Oundle dates back to the Iron Age and can boast a rich history throughout the ages which are reflected in the Museum.

Titchmarsh Nature Reserve is a 72.7 hectare Local Nature Reserve north of Thrapston in East Northamptonshire. The River Nene runs through this site, which also has large areas of open water and grassland. There are nationally important numbers of goosanders, wigeons and gadwalls in winter, and banded demoiselle damselflies nest on nettles along the river bank. It is owned and managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. It is part of the Upper Nene Valley

A majestic Norman castle which was the final resting place of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s divorced and banished Spanish Queen, Kimbolton Castle sits amidst wooded grounds close to the small town of Kimbolton. All that remains of the Norman castle is a low mound, surrounded by a ditch and covered with trees, which can be seen by looking up the hill from the Duchess Walk. It was one of the main attractions in this area and is famous among the tourists.

The Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, England, is a museum containing collections exploring the life of Oliver Cromwell and to a lesser extent his son Richard Cromwell. It can offer fun and engaging learning experiences for all ages, satisfying many different areas of interest.

Elton Hall was built in 1666, on the site of a medieval house, and there have been many additions. A compartment garden was made in the 1670s. The house has been the home of the Proby family since 1660, although previous generations held land at Elton from the time of Elizabeth I. The Victorian gardens have been skillfully restored in recent years and contain a knot garden, a new rose, and herbaceous garden, fine hedges, and a Gothic orangery built to celebrate the Millennium.

This was an important residence belonging to the powerful Bishops of Lincoln. The first residence at Buckden would have been built of wood. Around 1225 Bishop Hugh de Wells built a new house of stone. The site was protected by a curtain wall and moat. Within the substantial courtyard and outer yard, comfortable accommodation and facilities, including a chapel, a churchyard, an orchard, and a park, were provided for the bishops and their entourages.

Fotheringhay Castle was a motte-and-bailey fortification raised in the early twelfth century by the Earl of Northampton. It was subsequently owned by various Scottish Princes before being incorporated into the Dukedom of York. In 1587 the castle was chosen to host the trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. The castle was dismantled in the 1630s and most of the masonry was removed, leaving only the earthworks. The site is protected as a Scheduled Monument and is open to the public.

The National Trust's Lyveden New Bield, Northamptonshire, is an incomplete Elizabethan lodge and moated garden. It is a wonderful survivor of the Elizabethan age and a rare example of late Tudor landscape design. There are tranquil moats, viewing terraces and an Elizabethan orchard to explore, as well as an enigmatic garden lodge covered in religious symbols. The exterior of the building is decorated by friezes of a religious nature. The metopes contain the emblems and motifs found also at the

Houghton Mill is the last surviving mill on the River Great Ouse able to produce stone ground flour from a water-powered wheel. The present building was probably built in the 17th century, and was extended in the 19th century. In the 1930s, the mill was decommissioned. Local residents bought the building and it was given to the National Trust.

The Manor is a house in the village of Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire. It was built in the 1130s and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in this area. The house is surrounded by four acres of garden and is renowned for its collection of over 200 old roses and a collection of irises.

Paxton Pits Nature Reserve is a rich area of wildlife habitats in the heart of the Ouse Valley covering 78 hectares of lovely lakes, riverside, meadow, reedbed, scrub, grassland and woodland. It offers a great learning experience for visiting education and community groups as well as families - including a chance to get up close to local wildlife on the surrounding nature reserve throughout the year.

Fermyn Woods Country Park offers a diverse landscape of forest, marsh and meadows. The beautiful woodlands are the perfect place to stretch your legs and get closer to nature. There are well maintained surfaced paths and plenty of seating for visitors and also this place offers you a refreshing and beautiful nature-friendly living for some time.