Johnsons Zoo is home to over 100 animals, and section VBG13 of the Via Beata passes through Old Hurst, across fields and along wooded paths. Other highlights include medieval architectural features in the church, a milestone with distances to nearby places, and two buildings with similar choices of materials. Together, these offer different ways to explore wildlife, farming, architecture and walking.
Wildlife, Gardens and Farming
Johnsons Zoo is home to over 100 animals; this number may change. Johnsons of Old Hurst also has tropical gardens. The Johnsons Museum is included at no extra charge with regular zoo admission. As admission arrangements may change, check the current terms before your visit. The zoo provides a shared setting for the animals and the museum, while the gardens add a horticultural aspect.
Johnsons of Old Hurst has been firmly rooted in the farming traditions of Old Hurst in Cambridgeshire for over a century. The Johnsons Farm Shop sells meat from animals raised on the farm, along with local dairy products and British fruit and vegetables. The selection may change. If you are planning to visit the farm shop for specific items, check current product availability.
Church and Historic Architecture
St Peter’s Old Hurst was largely rebuilt and slightly extended in the late 13th century. The church is open to everyone on Sundays and Wednesdays for private prayer or as a quiet place; these details may change. Check the current opening days before planning your visit. The Church of St Peter contains a piscina pier dating from the late 12th century and a 13th-century font in the chancel.
Trinity Hall Farmhouse is an early 19th-century house with colour-washed Gault brickwork and a slate roof. The Stag and Hounds Public House, a mid-19th-century inn, also has colour-washed Gault brickwork and a slate roof. The comparison brings two building periods together, while Gault brick and slate roofing feature in both. This makes the dates and choice of materials two specific points to look for when exploring the historic buildings.
The milestone on the A141 in Old Hurst stands north of the Ramsey Road junction. Its inscription gives the distances as four miles to St Ives and five miles to Ramsey. The distances link the stone to two different destinations and give its location a specific historic reference.
Walking Through Old Hurst
Unlike individual historic buildings, VBG13 is a section of the Via Beata that passes through Old Hurst and across fields and along wooded paths. If you are planning a walk along it, check the current route and path conditions, as both may change. This distinguishes walking as a focus from the individual buildings and their architecture, without tying it to a fixed itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Kimbolton, Stretham, Brampton, Gamlingay, Wisbech, Croydon, Ely, Swaffham Bulbeck
For the regional travel overview: Cambridgeshire.
