Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre

What it’s like

A small sanctuary where kids get up close to birds of prey, reptiles and raccoons, and can hold a hawk at the flying display.

This one's built around birds of prey. There are over 30 species on site, from primates and reptiles to raccoons and cats, but the real pull is the flying displays and the chance to actually hold one of the birds yourself. That's on offer most school holidays and weekends between April and October at 2pm, weather permitting, so it's worth timing your visit around it rather than turning up whenever and hoping.

At £4 a child and £5 for adults, it's cheap enough that you won't wince if the visit only lasts an hour or two. Under-3s get in free. Opening hours shift a bit depending on the day and whether it's term time, with Sundays finishing half an hour earlier than the rest of the week, so check which slot you're aiming for before you set off. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, which doesn't give you long if you're a Sunday afternoon family.

One faff worth knowing about: picnics aren't allowed on site. There's a tearoom at Fletchers Garden Centre next door doing hot and cold food, eat in or take away. The centre sits right at the garden centre, ten minutes off Junction 14 of the M6.

Birthday parties are handled properly here rather than as an afterthought. £7 a child, minimum of ten, two adults go free, and you get a 30-minute presentation where every child gets to hold a bird of prey. School and group visits work on a similar model, with a keeper talk and activity packs thrown in for younger ones.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

3 to 16, especially kids keen to handle a bird of prey

Last entry

30 minutes before closing

Food

Tearoom at Fletchers Garden Centre on site serving hot and cold food to eat in or takeaway

Picnics

Not permitted on site. Fletchers Garden Centre tearoom available

Getting there by bus or train

10 minutes from Junction 14 of the M6

Parties

£7 per child, minimum 10 children, 2 adults free, 30-minute presentation with bird of prey handling

• Last admission is 30 minutes before closing, so don't leave it too late in the day.
• Sundays close earlier than the rest of the week, both in and out of term time.
• The flying display and bird handling only run on select days between April and October, not year-round.
• It's on the site of Fletchers Garden Centre in Eccleshall, ten minutes from Junction 14 of the M6.

Plan your visit

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