West of England Falconry

We had an amazing time at West of England Falconry on 9 March. We booked an owl encounter with them and after spending some time looking at all the wonderful birds they have on display we were met by Alice. She spent the hour introducing us to and telling us about 3 amazing owls, giving us many interesting and enlightening insights on owls and these specific birds in particular. It was a truly unique experience that I have never had before and well worth the money, especially when you can see how the volunteers and staff at the location care so much for each individual animal under their care.

After a very enjoyable hour getting to know the owls, we watched their flying display. Again, it was so interesting to see and learn about the variety of animals under their care. The drone display in particular was very impressive and again felt very informative.

If you are staying in Bath or are in the area I would say this is a must-see attraction and worthy cause, highly recommended.

What a fantastic day we’ve just had at the Falcon Centre. We had booked the Owl Encounter experience and turned up and were immediately greeted by two of the lovely staff. We began by being shown the owls in their living quarters and were told all about them. We also got to see the hawks.

After that the amazing Naomi took us into the flying area, gave us a comprehensive briefing and we then got to fly the owls. We started with an incredibly cute little owl, progressed to an African Spotted Owl and finished with an Eagle Owl. Wow, what an experience that was, having this majestic bird fly towards you and sit on your hand.

I would encourage everyone to do this at least once. It feels incredibly safe and the staff are so friendly and accommodating. Naomi had the patience of a saint while we endeavoured to get the best possible photo.

And what I really loved - this is definitely NOT a zoo. The owls are flown freely outside and if they don’t want to return they don’t have to.

A real treat, thank you to all involved.

I fully recommend the Hawk walk, Up close & personal with a hawk, we flew with Travis the Harris hawk ( who was named after Travis Perkins builders merchant) coincidently is the company that I work for) so very apt.
Travis was great to fly especially with his trade make move where he loves to sit on your head,
Kate was our falconer & is very very passionate & extremely knowledgeable about the conservation which made the experience all the more enjoyable.
Will return to fly again.

Booked an Owl Encounter on Saturday for 5 of us. Exceeded all our expectations and kept all three generations enthralled. Patrick our guide was welcoming, professional and knowledgeable. A great birthday treat.
The weather was bad but it didn’t matter as the flying area is indoors (if a bit chilly).
We booked a table at Newtons Farm Cafe afterwards - make sure to book well ahead as they get very busy at weekends.

This is a fantastic experience, much more intimate and personal than you'd get at a larger centre. I had a hawk walk, flying Charlie the Harris hawk in the nearby fields. Loved every minute of it. The birds are clearly in top class condition, the staff are outstanding: knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic. I learned loads of fascinating information about birds of prey from my guide, who also took me round the owlery. Will certainly return for more flying or simply to enjoy the daily demonstrations. Plus, easy car parking and close proximity to the equally fabulous Newton St Loe farm shop and cafe. Top class in every respect!

We visited on Bank holiday Monday the 2nd May - it was a very late birthday present due to Covid etc, however the Centre fitted me in despite the date to attend having expired. The experience of being so close to 3 owls was magical, they are bought in one at a time and then fly onto the glove encouraged by the handler feeding them. It was nice to see that the birds welfare is never compromised.

The session lasts a full hour and was nice and relaxed with Kate proving really knowledgeable and showing the type of interest of someone who is passionate about their career choice. In addition to the thrill of the birds both my wife and I both thought Kate was 'perfect' and really helped to make the experience special - thanks again Kate.

My partner and I went for hawk walk yesterday and it was such a perfect day. Travis the Harris hawk was the most amazing bird.

Claudia was such a great guide and so knowledgeable about all the diet and lifestyle of the birds. It was quite shocking how some of the birds were treated prior to arriving at this amazing rescue and conservation centre.

This is experience feels so personal and you feel completely at ease. You also get to see all the other birds and also the owls after flying the hawk.

We were so impressed that we have booked owl experience for tomorrow!

Great value for money and an experience we will definitely be doing again (and again).

Thank you Claudia and Travis.

Kate led our experience and it was amazing - she did a great job of making us feel at ease with a lovely Harris Hawk named Travis and we learned so much about him and his species as well as the other birds. Everyone we spoke to on the day was super friendly and we felt like we got plenty of time to wander around after the hawk walk as well. I was a spectator while my partner actually did the hawk walk and I still got to have a bird land on my head! Loved it and will definitely be back

Spending 1 week in London, I was looking for off the beaten path experience in the countryside. One of the forums suggested Falconry. We were not disappointed! We got to fly 3 different kinds of owls in the indoor tent, and then experienced flying a hawk in the field. This was a very unique and out of ordinary experience. We felt very special being able to interact with these birds so closely. Afterwards we visited all the other birds that were rescued by this charity, as well as the small museum. There was also a baby owl newly introduced that we were allowed to be near to. All the staff were very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. Our guide Alice in particular gave us a lot of interesting information about the birds of pray and was very patient with my sons. She has a great personality.
After, we had lunch at a farm cafe on site, which was also great. Falconry activity was something very different than what we experienced in London, and I was very happy we decided to do it.

My wife did an Owl flying experience for a birthday treat and she loved it.
There are quite a few re-homed, rehabilitated birds that are being very well looked after by the staff at the centre and they have the ability to either fly indoors or outdoors.
The staff that we met were very personable and knowledgeable and made the experience for my wife all that much better.
I would definitely recommend WoEF for anyone that loves birds, wildlife and we hope to visit again some time in the near future to look at trying a Hawk walk