Banham is an English village and civil parish in the county of Norfolk, about 7 miles north of Diss, 12 miles east of Thetford and 20 miles south-west of Norwich. It is home to Banham Zoo, a private collection open to the public for more than 40 years, which houses over 2000 animals. The Church of England parish church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, is …Banham is an English village and civil parish in the county of Norfolk, about 7 miles north of Diss, 12 miles east of Thetford and 20 miles south-west of Norwich. It is home to Banham Zoo, a private collection open to the public for more than 40 years, which houses over 2000 animals. The Church of England parish church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, is a Grade I listed building. The name of the village derives from "Bean homestead/village", or perhaps "hemmed-in land where beans grow".