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Opening Times
Open daily, mid-February to end October, and weekends only otherwise:
10:30am to 5:30pm, last admission 4:30pm
(closes at 4:30pm during winter season)
Admission Prices
Adults: | £9.75 |
Children (3-15): | £6.25 |
Students (16-18): | £8.75 |
Seniors: | £9.00 |
Family (2+2): | £31.00 |
(additional children, each: | £6.25) |
These prices include a voluntary 10% Gift Aid donation to support the Bird of Prey Hospital. | |
Reduced prices apply to entry after 4:00pm, and during the weekend-only winter season. | |
Official Website
(Opens in separate window)
Facilities
Car Park
Free, with areas reserved for the disabled and vehicles with dogs.
Eating
Coffee shop serves snacks & refreshments, sandwiches & light lunches
Picnic areas
For Kids
Adventure playground, toddler's play area, education centre and educational trails. Opportunity to hold bird of prey after flying displays. Duck and ferret races, and tractor and trailer rides during weekends & school holidays.
Special Needs
Good access throughout most of the grounds.
Special viewing points for wheelchair users at flying displays
Disabled toilets
Wheelchairs available free of charge.
Restrictions
No dogs permitted, but there are shaded areas in the car park set aside for vehicles containing dogs, and there is free access between grounds and car park.
Attractions
Animal Collections
Birds
Note: The animal pictures on this page are merely representative of this type of attraction; they do not mean that the animals can be found at this specific attraction.
Special Attractions
Flying demonstrations daily: 12:00, 2:00, 3:30 - Note that each demonstration is different from the others. Flying times vary during winter season. Opportunity for adult visitors to `fly' a hawk after the 2:00 display. Children have the opportunity to hold a bird after the 12:00 and 3:30 sessions.
Vulture feeding: 11:30
Heron & wild bird feeding: end of day
Photographic days, at extra cost on selected dates.
Other Attractions
Themed weekends on most bank holidays, exhibiting countryside activities.
Large woodland gardens.
Flower meadow
Dragonfly pond.
Wild bird hide.
Description
The Hawk Conservancy, a birds of prey centre, is located off the A303 trunk road about 2 miles west of Andover and near the Thruxton motor racing circuit. The Hawk Conservancy is set among woodland gardens, designed to provide a refuge for local wildlife, and is home to over 200 birds of prey. The grounds also include a wildflower meadow and dragonfly pond designed to attract butterflies and other insects. The birds of prey collection includes hawks, falcons, kites, eagles, owls, vultures, and secretary birds. Local wild herons also regularly visit during morning and late afternoon, for free food!
Some of the birds are used for the daily flying displays. These are held at 12:00, 2:00, and 3:30, with each display being different from the others. Special viewing areas are provided for visitors in wheelchairs. Adults even have an opportunity to `fly' a hawk after the 2:00 display, and children have the opportunity to hold a bird after each of the other two. Other activities and displays are held daily and at weekends and during school holidays.
An adventure playground is provided for older children, while younger ones are catered for with a toddler's play area. Baby changing facilities are also available. Picnic areas are provided, along with a coffee shop selling a variety of snacks, refreshments, sandwiches and light lunches. The grounds are also easily accessible by the disabled, with tarmac paths to assist the passage of wheelchairs.
A variety of special photography and activity days, including `owls by torchlight' evenings in spring and autumn are also available at extra charge, on a pre-booked basis. See the official website for further details.
As its name suggests, the Hawk Conservancy is actively involved in national and international captive breeding programmes to protect rare and endangered species. It also supports in situ conservation and habitat restoration programmes. Visitors support all of this valuable conservation work through the admission charges, by simply visiting and enjoying a fascinating day out.
How To Get There:
By Car
From A34 north/south:
Turn west onto A303 towards Andover and Exeter. Continue on A303 past Andover, and turn left onto unclassified road (signposted Amport, Monxton) shortly before railway overbridge. The Hawk Conservancy will then be on the right after about 0.5 mile.
From A338 north/south (Salisbury), and A303 south-west:
Turn east onto A303 towards Andover. Continue past Thruxton racing circuit and village, and on to next major exit - for A342/3 Andover. Follow the signs at the roundabouts to double back onto the A303 west, towards Exeter. Turn left onto unclassified road (signposted Amport, Monxton) after about 2 miles, and shortly before railway overbridge. The Hawk Conservancy will then be on the right after about 0.5 mile.
Alternatively, to avoid doubling back on A303, from the A338 north, turn left onto A342 to Andover, then join A303 west as described above. From Salisbury and A338 south, turn right onto A30, then left onto A343 to Andover, then join the A303 west as described above.
Data on this page last updated: Apr 1 2008
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