Cotswold Falconry Centre

The moment a Harris hawk lands on your gloved arm, you stop thinking about the weather. That's the whole point of the Cotswold Falconry Centre near Moreton-in-Marsh - you're not just watching birds of prey, you're handling them.

It's a working falconry school rather than a zoo. You'll see red kites, buzzards, owls and eagles up close, and if you're keen, you can book a proper handling session where trained staff teach you how to work with these birds. The displays are genuine too - no twee narrative nonsense, just handlers who actually know what they're doing showing you what these creatures can do.

Walkers and nature types get the most from it. Bring binoculars if you have them. Kids find it brilliant for the first hour or so, though sitting through a full afternoon of falconry talk requires patience they often don't have.

Allow two to three hours maximum. Check their website for session times before you go - they're not open every single day, and slots can book up, especially weekends. Admission costs a bit, but it's reasonable for what you get.

It slots well into a Cotswolds park stay. From Moreton-in-Marsh Experience Freedom Glamping, you're barely ten minutes away, so you can do this and still have time for the market town itself. The Campden properties are a bit further out but still within easy reach if you want to combine falconry with walking the Cotswold Way.