Photo of Kingsley Bird & Falconry Centre in North West1 / 2
Zoos

Kingsley Bird & Falconry Centre

📍 Stoke-on-Trent, North West

★4.6(74 Google reviews)đŸ‘ļAll ages

Pre-booked guided experiences in Churnet Valley featuring bird feeding, glove-flying sessions, and behind-the-scenes tours of one of the UK's largest private raptor collections. All ages welcome.

✓ Hands-on bird handling✓ One-to-one sessions✓ Passionate staff✓ Glove-flying experience✓ Pre-booking required✓ Woodland setting
“
★★★★★Featured review by Ruth Mott

A beautiful location that was a pleasure to visit. The people here obviously care very much about their birds and it is all about the birds with no one selling you plastic owl keyrings or stickers. Straight to the point and very well done. The owner Gareth was there to meet us upon arrival. There was ample parking available. Gareth has built the place literally and figuratively and was an interesting character to chat to with lots of stories. He handed us over to a very talented, knowledgeable young lady, only 17 but she was an excellent guide around the birds and obviously learns a lot through the job she does caring for them. She passed this knowledge on in a very frank, easy to understand way and was a joy to listen to. She also cared deeply for the birds and was attuned to our needs to if we're not as fast or wondering something. We had a lovely hawk walk down the lane with Jingles the Harris Hawk flying to our gloves. One of the highlights was also Jess the cat who followed our guide around on the tour trying to steal the food and succeeding occasionally! It really made us laugh. A wonderful place, recommended. Thank you very much for having us.

🏆 Family Action Verdict

Best for families with animal-loving children who want hands-on contact rather than viewing through a fence. The one-to-one guiding style means children of any age get direct engagement with the birds. Confident walkers will navigate the slope comfortably; staff accommodate anyone who needs a flatter route.

â„šī¸ What to Know Before You Go

💡Book in advance — sessions are personalised and capacity is intentionally small
⏰Staff will bring birds to level ground for visitors with mobility needs
đŸŽŸī¸Expect to feed, hold, and fly birds — this is active participation, not passive viewing
🚗No gift shop or commercial add-ons — the entire visit centres on the birds

đŸ’Ŧ What Families Are Saying

View all reviews →
4.6
★★★★★

74 Google reviews

Knowledgeable passionate staff45%
Hands-on flying experience35%
Intimate personal sessions15%
Accessible for mobility needs5%
R

Ruth Mott

2 years ago

★★★★★

“A beautiful location that was a pleasure to visit. The people here obviously care very much about their birds and it is all about the birds with no one selling you plastic owl keyrings or stickers. Straight to the point and very well done. The owner Gareth was there to meet us upon arrival. There was ample parking available. Gareth has built the place literally and figuratively and was an interesting character to chat to with lots of stories. He handed us over to a very talented, knowledgeable young lady, only 17 but she was an excellent guide around the birds and obviously learns a lot through the job she does caring for them. She passed this knowledge on in a very frank, easy to understand way and was a joy to listen to. She also cared deeply for the birds and was attuned to our needs to if we're not as fast or wondering something. We had a lovely hawk walk down the lane with Jingles the Harris Hawk flying to our gloves. One of the highlights was also Jess the cat who followed our guide around on the tour trying to steal the food and succeeding occasionally! It really made us laugh. A wonderful place, recommended. Thank you very much for having us.”

L

Lee

3 years ago

★★★★★

“ABSOLUTELY loved my time here. I came on the hottest day of the year, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was hot,the birds were hot, Laura (my guide) was hot - but it was one of the best experiences I've yet to partake in. So much so that I would like to continue in Falconry Training. Laura was so knowledgeable and took the time to answer my questions. She was so informative, and just wanted me to have the best time. I was allowed to feed the birds, go into their enclosures, hold a few, fly Bella (the picture shows Bella and I after a flying session)! Laura was a great guide - couldn't recommend her enough. Gareth was also about and got involved and shared his immense knowledge and expertise. Both are so down-to-earth, love the birds dearly, and want you as a client to get stuck in!! I went for the half day experience, and my god, Laura crammed so much in and I am so grateful. I am so thankful for this INCREDIBLE experience. Highly recommend, without a doubt. Mel was fantastic at booking me in, and so quick and prompt at replying to my emails. It was a breeze to sort everything out. Thank you all!!”

R

Ray Restel

4 years ago

★★★★★

“Falconry is open and gives a very intimate and unique experience that include watching feeding of the huge collection of birds of prey on a one to one basis and enjoying some flights to your gloved hand. This will blow you away, the birds are magnificent. Very experienced owner always on hand to guide you through this truly amazing experience. Dont miss this, highly recommended.”

D

Davie Marshall

4 years ago

★★★★★

“A fantastic session with a variety of birds where we helped feed them, plenty of facts of knowledge on the guided tour, and flying Bella at the end was brilliant. Really great day. Highly recommended.”

Reviews from Google

Overview

Kingsley Bird and Falconry Centre runs small-group and one-to-one sessions rather than open zoo access. Visitors feed birds, handle them, and fly trained hawks and falcons to the glove in natural woodland. Owner Gareth and his team are on-site throughout, sharing deep knowledge of raptor husbandry. The centre is built on a slope; staff bring birds to visitors who need level ground.

📍 Similar Activities Nearby

View more in North West →