Falconry Insight Days Additional Information
We hope you enjoy your Falconry Insight Day at The Hawking Centre at Leeds Castle. In order to help you to get the most out of your day, we have put together this general information sheet to help you.
The leaflet enclosed with this information also includes a map and directions for Leeds Castle, which is located just off  Junction 8 of the M20.

You need to arrive at Leeds Castle at 10.00am, don't try to arrive too early as the stewards open the main gates at exactly 10.00!
After parking in the main car park, walk down to the main entrance area. You will see an A-board saying "Falconry Insight Day Meeting Point". If you wait there we will come to meet you just after 10am, and escort you to the centre for your day.

You are welcome to bring cameras or video equipment as the birds are not put off by this, and spectators especially enjoy the opportunity to be 'wildlfe photographers' for the day! (All equipment brought is at your own risk.) Please wear comfortable walking shoes, and clothes suitable for the day's weather, as much of the day is spent outside.
As Falconry is an outdoor pursuit, the days are of course weather dependant. If heavy rain or high winds are prevalent on the day we may have to re-schedule. This is a last resort, as we try to run days wherever possible, but in this event the following procedure will apply: If we feel the weather is so bad that we feel unable to run the day at all, we will call you by 8.30am on the morning of your day to advise you, and to re-book a date. If the weather deteriorates during your day and it becomes impossible to continue, we will stop and re-book a date with you before you leave, for you to come back and resume your day from the appropriate point.
It is possible to add spectators to accompany you on your day (to a maximum of 2 per participant). Please see our terms and conditions for details regarding this. It is also possible to upgrade your voucher eg from a half day to a full day, from a full day to a VIP Solo day, etc. If you would like to do so please email us on enquiries@thehawkingcentre.co.uk or call us on  01622 767861.

As Insight Days are extremely popular, dates can become booked up quite far in advance, particularly at weekends, which can be booked as much as two months in advance. Please try to call us or email as soon as possible if you have certain dates in mind for taking your day. As we only allow up to a maximum of three participants flying per falconer on each day, during busy periods even weekdays can become fully booked up to 3 or 4 weeks in advance.

As we are often away from the office flying and exercising the birds, there are times when the telephone is not manned during the day. If you reach our answerphone please leave a message quoting your voucher number (or email us as above), as we will always respond within 1 working day. We apologise if you do experience difficulty in getting through to us, as some days can be very tied up with training birds! Please email us on enquiries@thehawkingcentre.co.uk if you have any problems at all, and we hope you enjoy your day flying birds of prey with us.

Terms and Conditions
Your confirmation details, invoice / receipt and gift voucher will be sent to you within 3 working days of receiving your payment.
Invoices are payable within 14 days of receipt, or no later than 7 days prior to a booking date of the course. All transactions are carried out in £ sterling. If you have supplied us with an email address we will mail you to confirm safe receipt of your payment, if you have specified that this is required.

VIP Solo Days are run on a one to one basis, Falconer and participant, Insight Days and Half Days are run with a maximum of three participants per falconer.

Spectators are charged as follows: 1/2 Day £35.00 per spectator, Full Day £45.00 per spectator, to a maximum of 2 per participant, except for VIP Solo Days, where the maximum is 4 spectators (£50.00 per spectator for for Full Days, £45.00 per spectator for Half Days). Spectators can be booked along with your main booking, or they can be added, but 24 hours notice is needed prior to your booking date. All spectators must be charged for, and we reserve the right to refuse admission to any spectator who arrives on the day and who has not been prebooked, in the event that their presence exceeds our maximum allowance numbers. We will make every effort to accomodate any unbooked spectator who arrives on the day wherever possible, as we endeavour to be as flexible as possible, however all spectators will each incur the relevant spectator fee, which is payable either in advance, or in cash on the day of the booking.

Vouchers are valid for 10 months from the date of issue. In the event of your day being postponed due to inclement weather, the valid date will be extended accordingly. Where a participant is unable to redeem their voucher within the 10 months following issue, it may be possible to extend the date by means of an activation charge of £30.00. This is subject to availability, and cannot be guaranteed.
Vouchers can be cancelled within 14 days of the date of invoice issued if necessary - in this event a refund will be sent by cheque within 14 days of cancellation - an administration charge of £30.00 is levied and will be deducted from the refund amount.

Insight Days and courses are currently held within the grounds of Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent. In the unlikely event of any unforeseen circumstances we reserve the right to alter the location of the course or insight day, or to postpone the date of the booking (and extend the voucher valid date if necessary).

In the event of bad weather we reserve the right to postpone a booking. Whilst we make every effort to contact clients prior to their arrival for their day, due to the unpredictable nature of the weather this is not always possible. If the weather deteriorates during the course of the day, we may have no option but to stop during the course. In this event, we can re-book a date for the remainder of your course with you for another day before you leave, and we can also not be held liable for travelling costs.

Handling any type of bird or animal is never predictable! On arrival at The Hawking Centre you will be given guidelines to assist you and maximise your enjoyment of your day, which we endeavour to make as exciting and enjoyable for you as possible. There is always a risk of injury in handling animals, and although we  make every effort to ensure this risk is minimal, we will draw your attention to the risk involved and ask you to confirm you are aware of the risk involved. Participants should be aware that they participate at their own risk, and that The Hawking Centre is not responsible for the safety of any personal possessions belonging to clients whilst they are at The Hawking Centre for their day.

Lunch is included for both participants and spectators on the VIP Solo and Full Day Insight Days. Lunch is NOT included for participants or spectators on the Half Day Insight Days. Admission for the day across the Leeds Castle grounds including maze and grotto, duckery and parrot aviaries, (not within the Castle itself) is included for all Full and Half and VIP Solo Insight Day bookings - both for participants and spectators.

Childrens Falconry Fun Days Additional Information

We hope your child enjoys their Falconry Fun Day at The Hawking Centre at Leeds Castle. In order to help you to get the most out of your day, we have put together this general information sheet to help you.

The leaflet enclosed with this information also includes a map and directions for Leeds Castle, which is located just off  Junction 8 of the M20.

You need to arrive at Leeds Castle at 10.00am, don't try to arrive too early as the stewards open the main gates at exactly 10.00! After parking in the main car park, walk down to the main entrance area. You will see an A-board saying "Falconry Insight Day Meeting Point". If you wait there we will come to meet you just after 10am, and escort your child to the centre for their day.

As Falconry is an outdoor pursuit, the days are of course weather dependant. If heavy rain or high winds are prevalent on the day we may have to re-schedule. This is a last resort, as we try to run days wherever possible, but in this event the following procedure will apply:

If we feel the weather is so bad that we feel unable to run the day at all, we will call you by 8.30am on the morning of your day to advise you, and to re-book a date.

If the weather deteriorates during your day and it becomes impossible to continue, we will stop and re-book a date with you before you leave, for you to come back and resume your day from the appropriate point.

It is not possible to add spectators on to a Children's Falconry Fun Day booking, as the days are run in groups of up to 10 children. However you are welcome to come into Leeds Castle as a regular day visitor, and be nearby or within easy contact distance on the estate. When we meet you at the main entrance we will ask you to give us the completed information form attached to this letter detailing contact numbers / preferences / food allergies / medical information etc. A packed lunch is provided for each child, and water is available for drinking throughout the day, but if you would like to provide your child with a drink or snack to keep with them you are welcome to do so. At the end of the day we will return to the main entrance meeting point at just after 4pm to return your children to you, after you have had what is hopefully a quiet and relaxing day!

As Falconry Days are extremely popular, dates can become booked up quite far in advance. Please try to call us or email as soon as possible if you have certain dates in mind for taking your day. Children's Falconry Fun Days are run during school holidays weekdays only, and bookings are taken subject to availability.

As we are often away from the office flying and exercising the birds, there are times when the telephone is not manned during the day. If you reach our answerphone please leave a message quoting your voucher number (or email us as above), as we will always respond within 24 hours. We apologise if you do experience difficulty in getting through to us, as some days can be very tied up with training birds! Please email us on if you have any problems at all, and we hope your child has a fantastic day flying birds of prey with us. 

Terms and Conditions

Your confirmation details, receipt and voucher will be sent to you within 3 working days of receiving your payment.
Your booking can be paid by credit / debit card, by cheque made out to The Hawking Centre, or by electronic payment - please enquire for further details if you wish to settle your invoice in this way. If you would like to pay by cheque, invoices are payable within 14 days of receipt, or no later than 7 days prior to a booking date of the course. All transactions are carried out in £ sterling. If you have supplied us with an email address we will mail you to confirm safe receipt of your payment, if you specify that this is required.

Children's Falconry Fun Days are run in groups of no more than 10 children, aged from 8 - 11 years. Days are run on weekdays only during school holidays. All Hawking Centre staff are Kent Police CRB checked.

Vouchers are valid for 10 months from the date of issue. In the event of your day being postponed due to inclement weather, the valid date will be extended accordingly. Where a participant is unable to redeem their voucher within the 10 months following issue, and when unforseen circumstances apply please contact us as we are happy to assist and would prefer you to take your day wherever possible.

Vouchers can be cancelled within 14 days of the booking date if necessary - in this event a refund will be sent by cheque within 14 days of cancellation - an administration charge of £30.00 is levied and will be deducted from the refund amount.

Fun Days and courses are currently held within the grounds of Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent. In the unlikely event of any unforeseen circumstances we reserve the right to alter the location of the course or insight day, or to postpone the date of the booking (and extend the voucher valid date if necessary).

In the event of bad weather we reserve the right to postpone a booking. Whilst we make every effort to contact clients prior to their arrival for their day, due to the unpredictable nature of the weather this is not always possible. If the weather deteriorates during the course of the day, we may have no option but to stop during the course. In this event, we can re-book a date for the remainder of the day with you for another day before you leave, and we can also not be held liable for travelling costs.

Handling any type of bird or animal is never predictable! On arrival at The Hawking Centre your child will be given guidelines to help them and maximise their enjoyment of their day, which we endeavour to make as exciting and enjoyable for them as possible. There is always a risk of injury in handling animals, and although we make every effort to ensure this risk is minimal, we will draw your attention to the risk involved and ask you to confirm you are aware of the risk involved. Participants should be aware that they participate at their own risk, and that The Hawking Centre is not responsible for the safety of any personal possessions belonging to clients whilst they are at The Hawking Centre for their day.

A Packed Lunch is included for children on the Falconry Fun Day. Although water is available during the day, it may be advisable to provide your child with a drink to keep with them. You will be asked to complete an information form prior to the day detailing any medical or special requirements, and emergency contact numbers etc for the day, which you will need to bring with you on the morning of your child's Falconry Fun Day.

In the event of any enquiries you can contact us in the following ways:

enquiries@thehawkingcentre.co.uk
Telephone 00 44 (0) 1622 767861
The Hawking Centre
Leeds Castle
Maidstone
Kent
ME17 1PL