Mercer Falconry Raptor Park, Robin Hoods Wheelgate Park, Mansfield Rd, Farnsfield, Newark NG22 8HX

10:30 Arrival

When you arrive at 10:30 you will wait by the main ticket entrance in the car park, where Dan or Cerys will meet you and walk you into the park. There is a quick stop at the toilets before we head up to the Raptor Park. Once there, you will get a short health and safety chat and a clear outline of what the session includes.

10:45 Start

At around 10:45 the first bird comes out and the experience begins. You will be given a glove and take turns flying the bird to your hand while Dan or Cerys talks about the species and answers questions. Several different birds will come out during the session so you can see how each one flies and behaves.

12:15 Take a look around

At 12:15 you can wander around the aviaries, look at the rest of the birds and use the toilets if needed.

12:45 Flying Display

Everyone returns to the seating area for the 12:45 flying display, where Dan and Cerys fly a range of birds and give live commentary.

13:15 End

When the display ends at 13:15 you will be walked back down to the entrance and out to the car park to finish your visit.

Mercer Falconry Raptor Park, Robin Hoods Wheelgate Park, Mansfield Rd, Farnsfield, Newark NG22 8HX

If you have already purchased a voucher or been gifted one from either us directly or another website like Red Letter Days then please include your Voucher Code/ Number in the box that says ‘Add Pre-Booked Voucher Code’. You can then proceed to the checkout and then in the ‘Add Coupon’ box, use the Code ‘PBV’ (standing for Pre-Booked Voucher).

Please Note – If the code PBV is used without a valid voucher code your booking will be cancelled immediately!

Mercer Falconry Raptor Park is Nottinghamshire’s award winning zoo licensed bird of prey centre, located inside Robin Hoods Wheelgate Park on Mansfield Road in Farnsfield, Newark NG22 8HX. Open daily from 10:30 to 5:00, the park offers spectacular flying displays featuring hawks, falcons, owls and eagles, along with hands-on falconry and bird of prey experiences suitable for all ages. Visitors can enjoy guided sessions, photography opportunities and professional falconry training, with bookings available online. The park provides free on-site parking, wheelchair-accessible facilities and a fully supervised environment for learning about raptor behaviour, welfare and husbandry.

Falconry Experience Nottinghamshire UK

There is a moment at every falconry session when someone holds out their glove for the first time and realises a hawk is about to land on it. You can see their breath catch a little. I have watched that look so many times at Mercer Falconry Raptor Park and it never gets old. It is the exact reason people travel across Nottinghamshire to try a falconry experience. They want to feel close to these birds, not just watch them from far away.

Mercer Falconry is set inside Robin Hoods Wheelgate Park, near Farnsfield and Mansfield Road. It is an easy trip if you are coming from Newark, Mansfield, Southwell or even the wider Nottinghamshire area. People often say the same thing when they arrive. They say they did not expect the birds to be so calm or the handlers to be so open about how everything works behind the scenes. This is a big part of what makes a good falconry experience. It is not only the thrill of a bird flying to your glove. It is the chance to understand how they think and how they choose to work with us.

What a Falconry Experience Feels Like

A falconry experience at Mercer Falconry is not rushed. Visitors get real time with the birds. You get to meet owls, hawks, falcons and sometimes eagles depending on the day. The experience is designed so you can learn at your own pace. The handlers talk to you like a friend. They explain things in simple steps. The birds do not feel like props. They feel like part of the team.

One visitor once told me that flying a hawk felt like holding the wind. That is the kind of thing people say when a moment feels real. At Mercer Falconry you get that feeling in a safe space with trained staff and zoo licensed standards. You learn small things like how to stand, how to move your arm, how to offer food and how to read the bird’s body language. Most people do not realise how much communication happens before the bird even leaves the perch.

Why Mercer Falconry is Different

Many falconry centres offer flying sessions, but Mercer Falconry is known for its teaching style. The staff treat every person like someone who could become a long term falconer. That changes the way they guide you. They are full of stories from the park. They tell you which bird likes to swoop low, which one takes the longest time to trust new people and which one will try to show off if a crowd is watching.

There is a kestrel at the park that once ignored every perch in the arena because it spotted a visitor wearing a hat that looked like the colour of her lure. The handler laughed and explained that falcons often make quick decisions based on early training memories. It is small stories like this that make people feel connected to the birds in a real way. They show that the birds have their own minds and that the handlers understand them well.

A Falconry Experience for Families, Couples and Solo Visitors

People often ask if the sessions are only for adults. They are not. Mercer Falconry runs experiences for families, school trips, couples and solo visitors who want a bit of quiet time outdoors. The team understands that not everyone is confident with animals at first. They guide gently so you never feel rushed.

Photography lovers also visit the park. They like the controlled flight paths and the natural backgrounds around Robin Hoods Wheelgate Park. You get close enough to capture the detail in the feathers. Some days the sunlight hits the arena in a way that makes falcon wings shimmer bright silver. It is hard not to take good photos.

The Zoo Licensed Standard

A zoo licence in the UK is not just paperwork. It is an ongoing system that checks welfare, safety, training, enrichment and public education. This is why Mercer Falconry puts so much effort into its record keeping and daily routines. Every bird has a health plan. Every enclosure is inspected more than once a day. All the staff are trained to a standard that focuses on welfare first and visitor experience second.

People sometimes think a small zoo licensed centre will feel formal, but at Mercer Falconry it is the opposite. The licence allows the park to care for a wide range of birds and run educational sessions in a safe and structured environment. You get the comfort of professional oversight without losing the feeling of talking to passionate trainers.

Bird watching area

Visitors are encouraged to slow down and watch the birds even when they are not flying. You can see how they move, how they preen and how they interact with the keepers. Watching a steppe eagle stretch its wings early in the day is a calm moment that many visitors remember.

The surrounding areas near Farnsfield and Sherwood Forest also attract wild kestrels, buzzards and red kites. It is common for visitors to point out a wild bird above the park while they are learning about a trained one. That contrast helps people understand the difference between natural hunting behaviour and managed flight work. It also gives you a sense of how many birds live across Nottinghamshire.

Flying Displays That Bring Everything Together

The flying displays happen at set times each day. These shows are where the team brings all the training together. The audience learns about speed, vision, hearing and natural hunting skills. The birds fly low, loop overhead and sometimes hover depending on the species. People laugh when a hawk decides to land on the glove of someone who did not expect it. It feels natural and unscripted.

I once heard a child say the owls looked like floating pillows. That description stuck with me. It shows how children use simple words to describe complex things. That is the tone the displays aim for. Clear ideas. Real learning. A sense of awe without overcomplicated science.

How to Book a Falconry Experience

Booking is simple. Most people book online because they want to choose a date that fits their plans. The booking link is on the main site under Falconry Experience. Sessions run most days and there is free parking on site. The park is open from 10:30 to 5:00 and there are wheelchair accessible paths, toilets and viewing areas.

If you are visiting from Mansfield, Newark, Southwell or Nottingham, the park is easy to reach. Many families combine a falconry session with the rest of Wheelgate Park to make a full day out.

A Falconry Experience Nottinghamshire UK is not just an activity. It is a moment of connection between you and a bird that trusts the process enough to fly to your glove. Mercer Falconry Raptor Park creates these moments every day. The staff have the experience, the licence and the passion to make it feel safe, calm and meaningful.

If you want to learn, feel inspired or simply try something new, this is a place where real memories are made. The birds do not perform tricks. They show you who they are. And that is what makes the experience special.