Mere Down Falconry

The birds here are genuinely impressive - massive red kites, Harris hawks, and owls that look far too intelligent for their own good. Mere Down Falconry, just outside Warminster, is a working falconry centre where you can watch these raptors up close and learn what goes into training and flying them properly.

It's a working operation first, tourist attraction second, which means the birds aren't exhausted from constant flying displays. Instead you get knowledgeable handlers who actually care about explaining the birds' behaviour rather than rushing through a script. Watching a hawk return to the glove never gets old, even if you've seen it twice before.

This works best if you're genuinely interested in birds of prey - a casual visitor might find forty minutes enough, but anyone into falconry or natural history could spend longer here. Kids aged eight upwards will stay engaged; younger ones can get restless. Bring a camera with a decent zoom if you've got one.

Timing-wise, go mid-week if you can - weekends get busier and the birds get less patient. Check opening times before you visit as they vary seasonally.

If you're camping at Sunnyhill Campsite, barely five miles away, or doing the tree house route, this makes an easy half-day stop. It's a proper working falconry centre where you can see how these birds are actually trained and handled, not a theme park with birds. That's exactly what makes it worth the detour.