Top Pick
Former home of BBC Springwatch, Pensthorpe Natural Park is a modern day nature reserve with a focus on inspiring the next generation to enjoy wildlife and the great outdoors. With its diverse attractions and activities, it offers a fully immersive day out for families, bird watchers, wildlife enthusiasts and garden lovers.
Explore 700 acres of woodland walks, nature trails, lakes and a variety of habitats teaming with wildlife including wetlands, woodlands, farmland and grassland. Enjoy the tranquillity of five stunning gardens, encounter Pensthorpe’s hugely popular Flamingo flock and cute ducks that will feed out of the palm of your hand and hop on the behind-the-scenes Pensthorpe Explorer* to discover the secret side of the Wensum Valley. This year the Millennium Garden, designed by renowned landscape gardener Piet Oudolf, celebrates its twentieth anniversary.
Adventurous families can take a walk on the wild side and join Hootz the owl on a journey around his magical outdoor adventure play area, WildRootz and the award winning indoor play area, Hootz House, which is perfect even on rainy days and comes complete with soft play for the under 5s. During the school holidays hands-on activities such as wildlife spotting, pond dipping, den building and nature-inspired crafts enable visitors to get closer to nature.
Enjoy delicious home-cooked food in the Courtyard Cafe and browse one of North Norfolk’s largest shops, full of unique gifts, homeware, plants, jewellery and some of Norfolk’s finest local produce.
*seasonal attraction/additional charge
New for 2024, Pensthorpe are welcoming visitors to camp and glamp on-site! Find The Guardian’s account of their stay here!
Want to travel by public transport?
Take the X29 bus from Norwich to Fakenham. The bus stops at the end of the drive.
