On Easter Sunday, we went to the National Centre for Birds of Prey, in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. This was our third visit, and happened to be exactly six years to the day since our first.
The National Centre for Birds of Prey, as you would expect, has one of the UK’s largest collections of birds of prey, including many species owls, eagles, hawks, condors and vultures. Originally, there was a sister site in Gloucestershire, but this closed in 2022. Whilst there are plenty of birds of prey centres across the UK, there are far more on display here than I’ve seen anywhere else.
Birds of Prey shows
It’s all well and good looking at birds on their perches, or in their aviaries, but it’s always better to see them actually flying. There are three flying demonstrations each day (two in winter), each with five birds, and with a different set of birds in each show. Therefore, if you stay all day, you can see fifteen different birds flying. The staff who present the birds are all very knowledgable, not just about the species as a whole, but about the individual birds that they fly. Many of the birds have GPS trackers attached to them, so you can see how high they can fly, and it helps the staff retrieve them should they decide to fly off. Indeed, the last of the five birds in the morning session that we attended decided to have a little explore and didn’t come back until about half an hour after the show ended.
There are also wild red kites in the area, and one rudely interrupted a great horned owl’s flying time until it was offered some food to go away. Considering that as recently as 1990s, red kites were almost extinct in the UK, their reintroduction has been a success story. At the centre, you can see their close relatives, the black kite.
Experiences and events
It’s possible to spend a full day at the centre and see all three shows, but like most zoos, there are also experiences that you can pay extra for. These include hawk and owl walks for 1-2 hours.
In 2019, we went on one of their winter owl evenings, which was great. They also offer monthly photography days in the summer and autumn.
Accessibility
The National Centre for Birds of Prey is located at Duncombe Park on the edge of Helmsley. Car parking is available on site, and it’s a 10-15 minute walk from the town centre. Buses from Scarborough and York call at Helmsley.
It’s open every day from early February until Christmas Eve. A Max Card discount is available.
Whilst there are no steps, there is some uneven ground and slopes around the centre. Disabled toilets are available, although I couldn’t find a Changing Places toilet anywhere nearby (the nearest being several miles away in Thirsk and Pickering).
Other things to see and do in Helmsley
Helmsley is a lovely little town, and it’s possible to make a weekend of it:
- Duncombe Park has some gardens and shares a car park with the centre.
- Helmsley Castle is an English Heritage property. Although mainly a ruin, thanks to the English Civil War, much of it still survives. We went in 2011.
- Rievaulx Abbey is another ruined monastery (continuing a theme of Henry VIII having a lot to answer for) just outside the town.
- Rievaulx Terrace, next door, is a National Trust property and home to some gardens.
The town itself is full of independent shops and is worth a visit on its own.
