⛱️ Our ever popular beach will be back on the Market Place, Hitchin for 6 weeks during the summer holidays! Running from 20th July until 31st August 2026, 10am until 4pm!

🤩 WHAT TO EXPECT
Sands, buckets and spades, music and deck chairs will turn this part of Hitchin into the seaside!

🎨 THURSDAY'S IN AUGUST 2026
Also, every Thursday in August, Cutie Mark Face Painting, will be there to add to the fun atmosphere (they accept both cash and cards).

📖 FRIDAY'S IN JULY & AUGUST 2026
We have an exciting addition to this year’s Hitchin Beach. Please join us for our free Hitchin Beach Time Stories sessions every Friday morning!

These interactive story sessions are perfect for pre-school children to enjoy with their parent/carer and will be delivered by the wonderful teams from Hitchin Library and Next Page Books.

The beach is supported by Brookers and Sponsored by Cloud Nine Baby and The Puppet Company.

💦 WHAT ELSE TO DO?
There is a Free Splash Park & play park at Bancroft Recreation Ground, Hitchin.

🌸 An affordable zoo at Johnsons of Old Hurst in Huntingdon.

🕙 OPENING TIMES
▪️Tuesday - Friday: 10am to 5.30pm
▪️​Saturday: 10am to 5.30pm
▪️​Sunday: 10am to 4.30pm
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time.

🐊 Please note, our tropical house will close 30 minutes prior to the zoo closing.

WHAT TO EXPECT
✅️ Zoo animals
✅️ Play park onsite
✅️ Restaurant
✅️ Tea room
✅️ Farm shop

🐶 DOGS
For all you dog lovers and owners... yes! we do accept dogs at Johnsons, though we ask for you to keep them on a lead at all times.

🥪 NO PICNICS ALLOWED
To maintain affordable zoo prices and ensure the well-being of our animals, we encourage customers to dine in our tea room or steakhouse during their visit. Keeping our zoo prices low is essential to make it accessible to families with lower incomes.

♿️ ACCESSIBILITY
We strive to be wheelchair accessible. We provide disabled parking next to our farm shop and in front of the steakhouse entrance. Accessible toilets are available in both the steakhouse and tea room. Additionally, we have gravel paths throughout our zoo and woodland walk to facilitate wheelchair access.

💷 PAY AT THE DOOR - NO BOOKING REQUIRED (CASH OR CARD)
▪️Adult: £6.50
▪️Child: £5.50
▪️3 & under go free

ℹ️ ENQUIRIES
☎️ Phone: 01487 824658

🌞 Ready for a summer adventure? 
Bring the whole family along to Jordans Mill and join our Summer Games Trail this 2026. A fun challenge that turns your visit into a playful quest around our beautiful grounds.

🗓 2026 DATES
▪️Saturday 18th July – Wednesday 2nd September 2026 (Open 7 days a week)

⏰ Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm

🤩 WHAT TO EXPECT
Take on 10 exciting games and activities along the trail, including a 50m sprint, football shootout, limbo challenge, pinball game, obstacle course and more. Record your scores as you go and see if you can become the ultimate Summer Games champion!

☕️ THE RIVERSIDE CAFE
Details & menus can be seen here.

💷 COST: £4 per child
Includes trail sheet and a prize. No booking required. Pay on entry.

👀 HAVEN'T BEEN BEFORE?
Check out Whatsup Bedfordshire's Facebook Post from a previous visit here.

💦 Have splash-tastic fun exploring our 2 giant inflatable Aqua Park courses on the lake. Buoyancy aid, safety briefing & free car parking included! Click Here To Find Out More!

🗓 SUMMER 2026 TIMES
▪️Monday - Friday: 12pm - 5pm
▪️Saturday- Sunday: 11am - 4pm

👨‍👦‍👦AGE & HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS
Must be aged 6yrs + and over 1.1m tall (110cm+)

🤩 WHAT TO EXPECT
Our Aqua Park is suitable for all ages 6yrs+ and over 1.1m tall. The ultimate outdoor watersports experience for families & groups - climb, leap, bounce & splash your way around both inflatable courses packed with fun obstacles. Explore 2 giant courses during your session (rotating after 30-mins) - twice the fun for the same price! How long will you stay dry?

🧦 Grip socks (or soft-sole water shoes): Optional, but recommended for extra comfort and grip. Socks are available to buy on the day. Wetsuits are also optional, but recommended & can hired on the day or pre-booked.

🏊‍♂️ Participants must be able to swim at least 50 metres while wearing a buoyancy aid and be comfortable falling into open water.

👨‍👧‍👦 Children aged 6-9yrs:
Must be accompanied by an adult on the Aqua Park aged 17yrs+ (1 adult : 3 kids ratio).

👨‍👦Child Supervision Policy:
For the safety and wellbeing of all guests, children aged 16 years and under must remain under the supervision of a responsible adult (aged 17 years or over) at all times while on site.

🕙 Arrival Times:
Please check-in at least 45 minutes before your session. This gives you time to check-in at reception, kit up & attend the group safety briefing (10-mins before). If you’re running late, we’ll do our best to get you onto your booked session, but this may require re-scheduling to the next available session or day.

🌧 Cancellations & Weather:
All bookings are non-refundable. However, if you notify us more than 7 working days prior to your scheduled session, we’ll be happy to discuss rescheduling your booking or issuing a credit for future use.

In the event of extreme weather conditions - such as lightning, high winds or flooding - Box End Park may need to cancel sessions for safety reasons. Should this occur, we will offer the option to reschedule your booking or provide a credit.

🎟 TICKET COST
▪️Individual Ticket: £17.50
▪️4-Person Ticket: £60.00

🎫 OPTIONAL COSTS
▪️Wetsuit Hire: £5.00
▪️Grip Socks: £2.50

ℹ️ ENQUIRIES
📧 Email: info@boxendpark.com

📽 Free Flitwick Community Movie Day at The Rufus Centre on Tuesday 28th July 2026 showing two free films. Must be booked in advance.

🎬 Elio (PG) - 11:00am
An imaginative 11 year old space fanatic who struggles to fit in on Earth is accidentally beamed up to the Communiverse. Mistakenly identified as Earth's official Ambassador, the shy Elio must navigate an intergalactic crisis and prove who he truly is.
🎟 Book here for Elio

🎬 Zombies (PG) - 14:00pm
Disney's ZOMBIES is a musical-comedy set in Seabrook, a town defined by perky conformity. Fifty years after a zombie apocalypse, the town is divided. Zombies are confined to Zombietown, until they are finally permitted to attended Seabrook High. There, a charming zombie, Zeb, falls for human cheerleader, Addison, and the two unite to challenge prejudice an embrace their differences.
🎟 Book here for Zombies

▪️Please note:
Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.   

ℹ️ ENQUIRIES
☎️ Phone: 01525 631905
📧 Email: bookings@therufuscentre.co.uk