The West of England Falconry in Bath has won four awards for International Tourism, Learning Experience of the Year, Small Visitor Attraction of the Year and Accessibility and Inclusive Award at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards ceremony.
The Falconry, based in Newton St Loe on the edge of Bath, was set up ten years ago with the aim of rescuing and rehabilitating wild or lost captive bred raptors. The centre, which is now home to 25 birds of prey and owls, received charity status in 2013 for its rescue, education and conservation work.
“Our Hawk Walks and Owl Encounters have always been popular with families,” explained Naomi Johns, who along with Jay Marshall and a handful of keen volunteers, runs the falconry. “Experiencing the thrill of having a raptor land on your fist is a totally unique experience, and a brilliant way for children and adults to learn to care about birds of prey and owls, as well as their importance in the wild, whilst enjoying time together outdoors.
“There is also the opportunity to gain an insight into the historic art of British Falconry by flying one of our trained Harris Hawks in the beautiful Newton Park Estate, or experiencing a close encounter with three different species of owl in our undercover flight area’
For more information visit www.westofenglandfalconry.org.uk.