The Welsh Hawking Centre
The Welsh Hawking Centre
The Welsh Hawking Centre
3.5
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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 wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
117 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
25
Average
21
Poor
9
Terrible
20
kafine
Cardiff, UK38 contributions
Aug 2013 • Solo
The place is not very big, the pens are pretty small and somewhat on the ramshackle side, and the whole place could use a revamp.
However their collection of birds is suprising, for a place this size. There are loads of hawks and falcons (the centre seem to breed them), as well as multiple large birds; eagle owls, golden eagles, bald eagles, and more.
The flying displays are at 12 and 2. When we were there, there were not many guests so the handler flew some younger birds who needed guest experience. They were great fun, and it is clear he has a good relationship with the centre's flying birds.
I was reassured to see that the trained birds all seem to get a turn outdoors, weather permitting. I also noticed that while we were there, a lot of training (of both handlers and birds) was going on "behind the scenes". It is a working falconry centre.
So after a poor initial impression I ended up feeling better about it. I would love to see them get improved funding for upkeep of their buildings and pens, because they're doing good work.
However their collection of birds is suprising, for a place this size. There are loads of hawks and falcons (the centre seem to breed them), as well as multiple large birds; eagle owls, golden eagles, bald eagles, and more.
The flying displays are at 12 and 2. When we were there, there were not many guests so the handler flew some younger birds who needed guest experience. They were great fun, and it is clear he has a good relationship with the centre's flying birds.
I was reassured to see that the trained birds all seem to get a turn outdoors, weather permitting. I also noticed that while we were there, a lot of training (of both handlers and birds) was going on "behind the scenes". It is a working falconry centre.
So after a poor initial impression I ended up feeling better about it. I would love to see them get improved funding for upkeep of their buildings and pens, because they're doing good work.
Written August 28, 2013
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.
Lex
United Kingdom120 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
This site is clearly run by people who truly love their work, and this is their passion.
The current roadworks on the public road outside are clearly affecting their business, so hopefully if you’re on the fence about going then this will tip you in the right direction. Go.
There are of course a large selection of raptors such as falcons, vultures, owls and eagles. There are also some more domesticated animals that look to have been rescued such as parrots and cockatoos. We also saw some bunnies running around (not near the birds!) and stabled horses.
There are daily flying displays, at the time to writing these were 12pm and 2.30pm. This was great fun and our guide, Jamie, was clearly very passionate about the birds and their well-being.
Buzz, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, was definitely our favourite. He was used in the flying display, and was quite vocal!
In terms of facilities, there is a large, flat, gravel car park, toilet block, lots of seating and picnic benches, light refreshments available in the shop and gifts/literature on birds to purchase. The site is fairly level, but you’d need to check with them about step-free access if needed.
The current roadworks on the public road outside are clearly affecting their business, so hopefully if you’re on the fence about going then this will tip you in the right direction. Go.
There are of course a large selection of raptors such as falcons, vultures, owls and eagles. There are also some more domesticated animals that look to have been rescued such as parrots and cockatoos. We also saw some bunnies running around (not near the birds!) and stabled horses.
There are daily flying displays, at the time to writing these were 12pm and 2.30pm. This was great fun and our guide, Jamie, was clearly very passionate about the birds and their well-being.
Buzz, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, was definitely our favourite. He was used in the flying display, and was quite vocal!
In terms of facilities, there is a large, flat, gravel car park, toilet block, lots of seating and picnic benches, light refreshments available in the shop and gifts/literature on birds to purchase. The site is fairly level, but you’d need to check with them about step-free access if needed.
Written July 21, 2019
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.
Sightsee720883
12 contributions
Sep 2017 • Family
We went as our youngest son loves birds, he had a lovely time. Not sure the gentleman name who does the bird display but he was the highlight of our trip - he knew everything about his birds and put on a lovely display.
Only downside was how old and run down the place is, the toilets were discussing! The birds were in very small cages and the poor horses were in stables not very big at all! Felt sorry for the animals.
Tea and coffee was not very nice either! Very expensive for what you get.
Only downside was how old and run down the place is, the toilets were discussing! The birds were in very small cages and the poor horses were in stables not very big at all! Felt sorry for the animals.
Tea and coffee was not very nice either! Very expensive for what you get.
Written September 25, 2017
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.
Sam W
Cardiff10 contributions
Aug 2013 • Solo
Utterly appalling conditions for the birds. Basically a breeding centre for international raptor sales, under the pretence of being a zoo with conservation at its heart.
If you've ever been upset by raptor enthusiasts who keep birds chained to posts, then this place will really upset you. Visit birds in their natural habitat, find a feeding centre in mid Wales instead!
If you've ever been upset by raptor enthusiasts who keep birds chained to posts, then this place will really upset you. Visit birds in their natural habitat, find a feeding centre in mid Wales instead!
Written July 6, 2014
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.
missbuttons
3 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
Located in the Vale of Glamorgan, the Welsh Hawking Centre is a little gem. My daughters who are 3 and 1 absolutely love it. I never worry about my little girl getting lost as it is a small park so even if she runs off which she does often I can still see her. We often visit the Hawking Centre as it is local, reasonably priced and has a lovely little play area. On rainy fays there is the Education centre where you can sit and have your picnic next to the toastie log burner.
The staff have been very busy over the winter revamping the park, replacing fencing and aviaries and introducing new animals such as the meerkats and lambs. They have done all this just weeks after sadly losing Griff the owner. They have worked hard and as soon as you walk in you can see the difference.
After reading the other reviews from others who have visited I'm disgusted by what they have written. If these reviewers had bothered speaking to the staff at the centre they would have a better understanding of the park and how it is run.
Firstly the reason the park can smell at times is because it's probably feeding time. The birds of prey are fed dead chicks (chicken chicks) which are sourced locally from a reputable supplier. If the visitors had bothered to ask the staff would have explained this and showed them the 'food' and they may of even shown them how the birds gobble them up. I asked when we visited and the staff showed us and explained all this to us.
Secondly, in regards to those silly comments 'prison like cages' some if the birds at the hawking centre are very rare and are part of a worldwide breeding program. The reason they are in the smaller aviaries is to reduce the noise and stress levels to the birds and to protect them from visitors. Again people would have known this if they bothered to speak to the owners instead of just writing a bad review.
Thirdly, the horses are very loved indeed. There is nothing wrong with the stables in which the horses and ponies are kept. The horses are regularly out on exercise or out on hacks. The stables are mucked out regularly. I know this because I visit regularly and talk to the owners. Horses need stable time and when they are in there they do poo. I have a background in farming and lots of horse experience and I can't see any issue with the horses what so ever.
If your expecting Bristol Zoo or Folly farm......you won't find it here. But what you will find is a small family run business that has all the owners time, engery and love put into it. Support small local businesses.
Take a picnic, enjoy a good honest day out ☺
The staff have been very busy over the winter revamping the park, replacing fencing and aviaries and introducing new animals such as the meerkats and lambs. They have done all this just weeks after sadly losing Griff the owner. They have worked hard and as soon as you walk in you can see the difference.
After reading the other reviews from others who have visited I'm disgusted by what they have written. If these reviewers had bothered speaking to the staff at the centre they would have a better understanding of the park and how it is run.
Firstly the reason the park can smell at times is because it's probably feeding time. The birds of prey are fed dead chicks (chicken chicks) which are sourced locally from a reputable supplier. If the visitors had bothered to ask the staff would have explained this and showed them the 'food' and they may of even shown them how the birds gobble them up. I asked when we visited and the staff showed us and explained all this to us.
Secondly, in regards to those silly comments 'prison like cages' some if the birds at the hawking centre are very rare and are part of a worldwide breeding program. The reason they are in the smaller aviaries is to reduce the noise and stress levels to the birds and to protect them from visitors. Again people would have known this if they bothered to speak to the owners instead of just writing a bad review.
Thirdly, the horses are very loved indeed. There is nothing wrong with the stables in which the horses and ponies are kept. The horses are regularly out on exercise or out on hacks. The stables are mucked out regularly. I know this because I visit regularly and talk to the owners. Horses need stable time and when they are in there they do poo. I have a background in farming and lots of horse experience and I can't see any issue with the horses what so ever.
If your expecting Bristol Zoo or Folly farm......you won't find it here. But what you will find is a small family run business that has all the owners time, engery and love put into it. Support small local businesses.
Take a picnic, enjoy a good honest day out ☺
Written April 12, 2015
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.
Ejsweetman
2 contributions
Nov 2014
It's hard to belive that it is possible to be allowed to keep animals in this condition!
I went on a school trip as a parent helper and had high hopes as the school visits every year. It is supposed to be an education center.Quite frankly I was appalled! The cages were very poorly maintained and tiny with absolutely no stimulation or thought for the comfort and environment the birds are living in. A lot of the cages just consisted of plywood and rusty wire mesh. There was not enough room for the larger birds to fly at all and even in November there were a lot of flies buzzing around and a smell of decay was evident in many of the cages. Having consulted an expert in the field( I'm lucky enough to know one) I am told that the reason for this is that the birds are not being cleaned out properly and the old food taken away so that it does not rot in the cages.The grounds were also poorly maintained and the toilets were in a dreadful state even though as far as I'm aware we were the first trip of the day.To Sum up my review I think its dreadful that this center is being used as a means of education and its certainly not what I would want my children to think is acceptable in any way.
I went on a school trip as a parent helper and had high hopes as the school visits every year. It is supposed to be an education center.Quite frankly I was appalled! The cages were very poorly maintained and tiny with absolutely no stimulation or thought for the comfort and environment the birds are living in. A lot of the cages just consisted of plywood and rusty wire mesh. There was not enough room for the larger birds to fly at all and even in November there were a lot of flies buzzing around and a smell of decay was evident in many of the cages. Having consulted an expert in the field( I'm lucky enough to know one) I am told that the reason for this is that the birds are not being cleaned out properly and the old food taken away so that it does not rot in the cages.The grounds were also poorly maintained and the toilets were in a dreadful state even though as far as I'm aware we were the first trip of the day.To Sum up my review I think its dreadful that this center is being used as a means of education and its certainly not what I would want my children to think is acceptable in any way.
Written November 4, 2014
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.
Noodlehead99
Cardiff, UK19 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We decided to go here for my birthday and sadly we were very disappointed. On arrival it was all locked up and therefore we rang the bell as advised on their sign, when the lady arrived she was a bit rude saying we could only go in if we had the correct money as she had locked the front door as there hadn't been many visitors that day and didn't want to go and get the keys. We had the right money so decided to carry on with our visit.
The whole place smells incredibly bad (I know birds smell but this was disgusting). The whole place was very run down and not cared for. Many of the enclosures had rusty metalwork and rotten wood. The kids play ground didnt look safe for children (again wood was rotten). The enclosures around the rabbits had holes which many of the rabbits had escaped through. The chickens had big bald patches on their backs which looked rather sore. There was horses were getting frustrated by the sheer number of flies around their faces. The wildlife was very overgrown, in fact the stinging nettles were taller than partner and I (he's 6 foot 3) so you couldn't actually see the pond. The signs about the birds were very water damaged so many of them were no longer readable.
It didn't take us long to walk around and we missed the display, but the staff sat around and no-one told us anything about the place or the birds. No-one was manning the shop. Then we had to wait to be let out as they had locked us in.
Overall this place needs a lot of TLC to get it up to scratch.
The whole place smells incredibly bad (I know birds smell but this was disgusting). The whole place was very run down and not cared for. Many of the enclosures had rusty metalwork and rotten wood. The kids play ground didnt look safe for children (again wood was rotten). The enclosures around the rabbits had holes which many of the rabbits had escaped through. The chickens had big bald patches on their backs which looked rather sore. There was horses were getting frustrated by the sheer number of flies around their faces. The wildlife was very overgrown, in fact the stinging nettles were taller than partner and I (he's 6 foot 3) so you couldn't actually see the pond. The signs about the birds were very water damaged so many of them were no longer readable.
It didn't take us long to walk around and we missed the display, but the staff sat around and no-one told us anything about the place or the birds. No-one was manning the shop. Then we had to wait to be let out as they had locked us in.
Overall this place needs a lot of TLC to get it up to scratch.
Written August 23, 2013
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.
chickenpieHampshire
Hampshire72 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
I don’t know what they do with your admission price £16 for a family. The birds live in very poor conditions with no stimulation Orr variety that was obvious in their tiny cages, there is so little to see. & do. Half an hour & we had done it all. Couldn’t bare to wait another hour for the flying display as there was absolutely nothing else to do. The whole place was completely run down. Perhaps they should visit to Hawk Conservancy in Andover to see how it is done properly.
Written August 15, 2019
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.
Sally H
2 contributions
Had super day at hawking centre. Our 2 year old loved it. Flying display was excellent and lambs, rabbits, and other animals wandering around were great fun for us all.
Written May 25, 2015
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.
FJIWilson
Wargrave, UK69 contributions
Sep 2016
Desperately run down. Pens need revamping, the children's play area was seriously dangerous and should be cordoned off. But worst of all the toilets .. I'm not joking there was mould growing on the toilet seat.
I don't doubt the owners commitment to his birds, but this isn't a safe place to take children.
I don't doubt the owners commitment to his birds, but this isn't a safe place to take children.
Written September 16, 2016
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.
£16.00 family ticket.
2 x adults
2 x children
Written April 13, 2018
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