The Hawking Centre
The Hawking Centre
5
Nature & Wildlife AreasZoosOther Outdoor ActivitiesOther Zoos & Aquariums
About
Exclusive falconry and bird of prey centre specialising in experience days. Our centre boasts an array of feathered friends for you to meet in person on your falconry experience day. Based on the beautiful formal lawns and garden of Eastwell Manor, our experiences ooze luxury but are the perfect excursion for the whole family! Whether it's for a day out, or something to pass the time for an hour, we have the experience that's right for you. We look forward to welcoming you.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingWhat is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
104 within 3 miles
Attractions
52 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- Ian W5 contributionsFlying birds in the rain.Had a fantastic day watching and flying birds in beautiful surroundings. Rained heavily all day but didn’t notice it after a while. Reece was a brilliant, knowledgeable and informative guide and the eagles, owls, vulture and hawks were just amazing. Thank you.We're so glad you enjoyed your day despite the rain, you're true troopers! Thank you for such a kind review too! We'd love to see you again for another experience. - ZoeWritten 12 January 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 November 2023
- Sherpa274791716601 contributionBig Four ExperienceHad an amazing afternoon flying the Big Four at the Hawking centre. Reece, our host, was so friendly, knowledgeable and obviously passionate about the birds in his care, he made the experience extra special. Flying the birds and watching them fly was everything I hoped it would and more. Thank you so much!!Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 9 March 2024
- Jacky S24 contributionsHawking centre great experience great setting.Amazing experience. Took hubby for his Christmas present. Reese was our guide. He was so knowledgeable. Lots of time hands on flying. Lots of information. Great setting in Eastwell Manor. Fun day had. Reese was very chilled but made the day fun nd enjoyable. Highly recommended. Thank youVisited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 17 March 2024
- Kim GLondon, United Kingdom12 contributionsAmazing 👏Reece, our Falconer, was very knowledgeable about all the birds of prey in his care. My husband experienced the VIP package for the whole of today, along with my wife as a spectator and photographer. He was given the opportunity to feed many species of birds by them flying to him. Reece made the day top. He is a very caring, charamasic young man who thoroughly enjoys his role. However, we both had a fantastic day and would recommend it to everyone. I am not keen on birds but shall return for my VIP experience.Visited April 2024Travelled soloWritten 11 April 2024
- Lesley D1 contributionBrilliant day, really enjoyed it. Would do it again.The full day experience was a Christmas present from my husband. I went with my daughter ( it was for the two of us) and included lunch. We had a great day, lots of opportunities to fly the birds and learnt a lot from Reece ( our leader for the day) about them. Would love to do it again, perhaps with more sunshine although the showers couldn’t spoil it.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 17 April 2024
- Surrey1000Guildford, United Kingdom7 contributionsExcellentWe had a lovely morning with Reece at the Hawking centre. The grounds of Eastwell Manor are just a perfect backdrop for viewing and flying the birds. We flew 5 different birds - they were all so beautiful and well cared for. It was interesting to see how they all had a different character. The weather was perfect too - we couldn't have asked for more. Will look forward to returning at another time.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 18 April 2024
- William PAmersham, United Kingdom2 contributionsWonderful experienceWe did the all day falconry experience and, despite the rather unsettled weather, we thoroughly enjoyed it. We flew 9 different birds, all totally captivating in their various ways. Reece, our falconer, was so knowledgeable, not only about the birds in his care but also in their natural environment. He also had some interesting and amusing anecdotes. It felt like a privilege to get up close to such amazing animals. We both had a wonderful time, and would love to do it again sometime.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 24 April 2024
- Mark PUxbridge, United Kingdom5 contributionsFab day out!!!We booked last year but had to cancel several times Zoe was extremely helpful and understanding. We finally managed to attend on May 2024. Wow what an amazing experience!!! Reece our falconer was very friendly and knowledgeable. The whole day was packed with flying the beautiful birds and had a really nice lunch in Eastwell Manors gorgeous Lounge (highly recommend even if you are not there for the birds) The setting was stunning and really made our day that much more special. We booked for the VIP one to one full day and most certainly recommend it. Thank you Reece and team. Mark and DebsVisited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 May 2024
- Gary M1 contributionA genuinely magical dayI bought a VIP half day experience for my partner for a birthday present and she absolutely adored the day out. Said it was the best birthday she has ever had! It was a delightful experience and getting to get up close with a lot of the birds was a genuine joy and if anyone wants a unique experience, i highly recommendVisited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 16 May 2024
- Tara J8 contributionsAn interesting and fun day with knowledgeable instructorWhat an amazing day, we had the whole day with Reece who was a very knowledgeable young man. we learnt so much and then some. The weather was perfect as was the experience of flying different types of Birds of Prey, all quite different personalities and flying styles. I would absolutely recommend this experienceVisited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 17 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
180 reviews
Excellent
177
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Natalie
6 contributions
May 2021
We had a fantastic time at The Hawking Centre, it exceeded all our expectations! We did the VIP half Day Falconry Experience. Reece was great, he was very knowledgeable about all of the birds. He gave us a great insight into their personalities as well as facts about each different species. The close contact with the birds was amazing, we couldn’t decide on who our favourite was although after much debate Gigi the Great Grey Owl might have topped it. The focus of the afternoon was definitely on getting the best experience for us in the time allowed. I could not recommend this more!
Written 26 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris P
London, UK23 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
We booked a full day with The Hawking Centre.
What a fantastic day if you love birds of pry.
Ryan was our Falconer & expert for the day.
We where greeted with a warm welcome & where offered tea, coffee or water. Before a tour of there facilities and a very informative talk on all there birds including the one we would fly later.
The day started with a briefing & strict do’s & don’t. The day is very hands on and you actually get to fly the birds yourself with guidance & support every step of the way from the falconer. We flew 3 birds in the morning slowly getting bigger & bigger.
Then after a tasty lunch the 4 big boys came out to fly including Xavier the bald eagle. The experience of having them recall to the glove was amazing. Which is all down to the hours & hours of training that has gone into these animals.
If you are into Birds of Pry this day is perfect for you it’s informative and you leave admiring how stunning these creature’s really are when you’ve spent the day up close.
In fact I loved it so much I would go back and do it all again if I could.
What a fantastic day if you love birds of pry.
Ryan was our Falconer & expert for the day.
We where greeted with a warm welcome & where offered tea, coffee or water. Before a tour of there facilities and a very informative talk on all there birds including the one we would fly later.
The day started with a briefing & strict do’s & don’t. The day is very hands on and you actually get to fly the birds yourself with guidance & support every step of the way from the falconer. We flew 3 birds in the morning slowly getting bigger & bigger.
Then after a tasty lunch the 4 big boys came out to fly including Xavier the bald eagle. The experience of having them recall to the glove was amazing. Which is all down to the hours & hours of training that has gone into these animals.
If you are into Birds of Pry this day is perfect for you it’s informative and you leave admiring how stunning these creature’s really are when you’ve spent the day up close.
In fact I loved it so much I would go back and do it all again if I could.
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth S
8 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
I bought a half day experience for my husband for his birthday and also a spectator admission for myself. The experience was simply amazing!
Initially, something came up at the centre which meant that they may not be able to run the session on the day I booked, however they quickly jiggled things around and accommodated us. We were lucky to have Zoe conducting the day as our falconer, as she traveled from a sister site to ensure our experience could still go ahead. Zoe was so lovely, very engaging, friendly and clearly so passionate about the birds and ensuring we all had a good time. She is an asset to this company!
My husband got the opportunity to interact with countless owls, a hawk, vulture and an eagle. We had a small group (only us and one other couple) so it was very hands on and Zoe packed loads into our session and obviously wanted to give us the best experience possible. The birds were (as you'd expect) absolutely beautiful and were handled with care and expertise by Zoe. Even though she was not their usual handler in some cases (due to coming from another site for us), she was still able to get the best out of them for us. She was also able to answer all our questions and clearly so knowledgeable, so we learnt a lot about the birds, too.
The grounds where the Hawking Centre is situated are in a Champneys Hotel / Spa at an old manor house, so the setting is beautiful and lends itself wonderfully to the majestic birds.
My husband got a lot more interaction with the birds than I was expecting for the price I paid and Zoe's attentiveness, skill, knowledge and great sense of humour only added to the special feel of the day. I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for an unusual and unforgettable day out or gift.
Initially, something came up at the centre which meant that they may not be able to run the session on the day I booked, however they quickly jiggled things around and accommodated us. We were lucky to have Zoe conducting the day as our falconer, as she traveled from a sister site to ensure our experience could still go ahead. Zoe was so lovely, very engaging, friendly and clearly so passionate about the birds and ensuring we all had a good time. She is an asset to this company!
My husband got the opportunity to interact with countless owls, a hawk, vulture and an eagle. We had a small group (only us and one other couple) so it was very hands on and Zoe packed loads into our session and obviously wanted to give us the best experience possible. The birds were (as you'd expect) absolutely beautiful and were handled with care and expertise by Zoe. Even though she was not their usual handler in some cases (due to coming from another site for us), she was still able to get the best out of them for us. She was also able to answer all our questions and clearly so knowledgeable, so we learnt a lot about the birds, too.
The grounds where the Hawking Centre is situated are in a Champneys Hotel / Spa at an old manor house, so the setting is beautiful and lends itself wonderfully to the majestic birds.
My husband got a lot more interaction with the birds than I was expecting for the price I paid and Zoe's attentiveness, skill, knowledge and great sense of humour only added to the special feel of the day. I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for an unusual and unforgettable day out or gift.
Written 3 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for such a positive review, we love it when our guests have such an enjoyable day with us and our team!
We hope your husband had a great birthday and that it was one to remember!
All the best,
Written 22 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tessie1
Warlingham, UK742 contributions
Jun 2021 • Friends
It was a real privilege to have this amazing experience Our falconer, Reece, was highly knowledgable and skilful and we learnt a great deal about birds of prey as well as having the exceptional pleasure of flying them ourselves. The day simply flew by and we were sorry when it ended. The birds are quite beautiful, exquisite plumages, each with its own personality - really enchanting. This is a terrific day out and I certainly want to repeat it!
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
malcolm m
London, UK1 contribution
Jul 2021
This was a fantastic experiance I learnt so much from Reece about the birds we were flying habitates type of food they consumed etc, fantastic setting especially from the terrace. The experience of flying the birds was second to none. All the birds are well cared for, as it was a hot day we were able to fly them under the trees. I was also so surprised how low they fly to the ground and then just before they go onto your hand they sweep up.
Written 29 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon B
6 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
A fantastic half day experience with Ryan, who was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and made our afternoon one to remember. We fly Darwin the barn owls, Eagle owls, Harris hawks, Maggie the vulture and some young birds that were being trained by Ryan. Holding the bald Eagle at the end was an experience, heavier than you think. The surroundings are fabulous and we would recommend anyone thinking about having an Falconery experience to book yours with The Hawking Centre at Eastwell Manor. Ryan and the team keep up the good work. Brilliant!!
Written 2 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
surreymilly2017
Surrey, UK10 contributions
May 2021 • Family
A big thank you to Reece for a fascinating half day Falconry Experience. Our family of 4 thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in particular our 7 year old whose birthday we were celebrating. Reece had immense knowledge of the birds and great skill in their handling. All the birds were special but we particularly loved Maggie the Hooded vulture-such a character.
We had a spontaneous and delicious Afternoon tea on the terrace of Eastwell Manor afterwards.
We had a spontaneous and delicious Afternoon tea on the terrace of Eastwell Manor afterwards.
Written 2 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia J
9 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
The Hawing Centre is a gorgeous venue.
Very impressed at how the bird handlers look after these birds with such precision while keeping their hunting skills intact, yet tame enough for us to get up close and learn about the skills of these amazing hunting machines.
Surprisingly enough I took to the vulture, definitely an unappreciated species and sadly they are being persecuted by poachers.
Very impressed at how the bird handlers look after these birds with such precision while keeping their hunting skills intact, yet tame enough for us to get up close and learn about the skills of these amazing hunting machines.
Surprisingly enough I took to the vulture, definitely an unappreciated species and sadly they are being persecuted by poachers.
Written 22 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J W
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • Friends
Two of my friends and I booked a morning’s Falconry Experience and caught pretty good weather to do it. We were met by Harriett, who introduced all of the beautiful birds at the centre and took us all out to fly four of them in the field and gardens. Harriet was warm, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and her affection for the birds was very clear. As for the actual flying, it was amazing, the birds are incredible.
Written 13 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda
4 contributions
Oct 2022
Had a fabulous afternoon (23 Oct 22)! Was collected from Eastwell Manor reception by Reece and the few other that were on a full day experience. Went through H&S and checked in. Straight into taking Xavier, the Bald Eagle, out for a bit of food and exercise. He’s a big lad! Reece gave us a wonderful amount of knowledge as we took turns in having Xavier land on our glove and feed. We flew a young Harris Hawk, training on the string, Eagle Owl who is incredibly nimble and silent for his size! Moët the Chilean Blue Falcon, who swooped and soared above our heads and Maggie, a 25 year old Vulture. Throughout the whole experience, Reece was very interactive. The birds are very well looked after, and in good condition. A fair bit of walking backwards and forwards with the birds in the grounds of the manor, but it’s a beautiful setting. Can’t think of one single negative. I’d definitely book this experience again.
Written 23 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing