Popped in today, passing some kind of protest outside which I believe is part of a nationwide thing this weekend.
What size protest was it? And was it saying anything Hamerton-specific? One of my favourite moments when I worked in a zoo (not Hamerton!), many years ago, was seeing the (excellent) financial director biting a bank holiday protestor. Probably not to be recommended, but satisfying to see nonetheless.
I didn't stop to read their signs, but they were gone when I walked to my car car an hour or so later. There were maybe a dozen or so and a couple of police vehicles. I was pointed to a facebook post, a photo from Twycross of someone standing in their driveway, holding a 'prison' placard. Also shown a facebook page for Animal Freedom, declaring a weekend of action ... Chester will be targeted on monday.
On my next visit to the UK I'd very much like to visit Hamerton - any ideas of how to get there without a car? I've checked the website and it just mentions that it's twenty minutes from these train stations - Peterborough, Oundle, Thrapston or Huntingdon.
A post from a year ago says there is a bus Mon-Fri from Huntingdon: UK Collections By Public Transport: A Guide Which would be this one: 401 - Huntingdon - Leighton Bromswold – Go-Whippet – Bus Times traveline south and east
That bus is *not* a viable option sadly; there is only one service a day in either direction and the time between services is only a little over 3 hours, nowhere enough time to visit properly. Best option is to get the train to Peterborough or Huntingdon, bus to Sawtry (Busway Route B) and then 3.5 mile walk along a very pleasant country lane to Hamerton Zoo. Busway services are hourly until late.
Nowhere near that bad - it's literally through country lanes and farmland, with little traffic and plenty of grass verges and passing places to step into if any vehicles *do* pass. As I said it's a very pleasant walk - the first time I did it the air was full of birdsong, the fields were full of boxing hares, and only two cars passed us on the entire walk
That's about 5.5km for @Goura (roughly an hour's walk) - wouldn't it make more sense to catch the 401 directly to Hamerton and catch the other bus back, that way a person would only need to walk that distance once?
That would be another option, yes the main complicating factor is that it means having to deal with two different bus tickets with different companies rather than just the one return ticket. In any case, nothing wrong with walking that far
Is the return ticket cheaper, or does it not make any difference? It's not a long distance to walk, but it does add quite a bit of time on to either end of your zoo visit, so if one way can be direct by bus then that's a better option in my opinion. There's also the presumption that Goura (or others) is happy to walk it, and of course not everybody is capable of walking comfortably for longer distances. Gotta take heavy camera gear into consideration also, for some people. Another option too, if money isn't really a consideration, is to use a taxi.
Well, the fact it is two different bus companies might make a difference, as fare structures might differ. Mind you, looking at timetables the 401 there and B back option would work quite nicely - might have to try it out sometime.
Actually considering it may be a one-off, I'd probably factor in a return taxi ride, as I've done when visiting many collections in the UK in the past, notably (on my last trip) to Birdworld in Surrey
That would be my advice. Its not going to break the bank, and will save you a bunch of time and energy to spend at Hamerton.
Two pairs of magpie geese (a new species to the collection) have recently arrived at Hamerton from a private breeder in Belgium. They along with red-breasted geese, which have returned to the zoo following a gap of a few years, are now sharing paddocks with the wallabies. More information is included on the link below: Hamerton Zoo Park - Animal Park Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
