• Admissions & Booking
    • • Planning your visit
    • • Group Visits
    • • About your visit
    • • Meerkat Kastle
    • • Find Us
    • • Discovery Centre
    • • Download a map of S.O.S.
  • About S.O.S.
  • Making a Donation
  • Help for Injured Owls
    • * Avian Flu
    • • What to Do
    • • Injured Owls
    • • Orphaned Owls
    • • The S.O.S. Raptor Hospital
    • • Raptor Rescue Orgs.
    • • Help For Other Injured Wildlife
  • Adopt-an-Owl...
  • Saving Britain's Owls
    • • Overview
    • • Wild Owl Nestboxes
    • • Keeping Owls as Pets
    • • Owls & The Law
    • • Nest Box Scheme
  • Education at S.O.S.
    • • S.O.S. Education Department
    • • Education Visits to S.O.S.
    • • Outreach Visits
    • • Higher & Further Education
    • • School and Group Projects
    • • The SOS Shop
    • • "The Screecher" Newsletter
    • • Group Talks
  • Encounters & Experiences
    • • Gift Passes
    • • Close Encounters
    • • Owl Encounters
    • • Meerkat Encounters
    • • Armadillo Encounters
    • • Porcupine Encounters
    • • Half Day Animal Keeper
    • • Half Day Bird Keeper
    • • Keeper for the Day
    • • The WILD Club 2025
  • Pellet Detectives
  • S.O.S. Events
  • We Are Hiring
  • Raptor Factors
  • Photography at S.O.S.
    • • 2024 Photo Competition Results
  • Home Fun For Kids!
  • The S.O.S. Blog
  • Volunteering at S.O.S.
    • • Help Us at S.O.S. H.Q.
    • • Volunteer Hosts
    • • Corporate Volunteers
    • • Join the Owl-Reach Team!
  • Hedgehog Care
  • Bees, Bugs & Butterflies
  • Suffolk's Endangered Wildlife
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Legacies & Donations
  • Local Events & Places to Stay
  • Our Sponsors
  • S.O.S. Privacy Policy
  • Use of CCTV at S.O.S.
  • S.O.S. Safeguarding Policy
  • Menu

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary

  • Admissions & Booking
    • • Planning your visit
    • • Group Visits
    • • About your visit
    • • Meerkat Kastle
    • • Find Us
    • • Discovery Centre
    • • Download a map of S.O.S.
  • About S.O.S.
  • Making a Donation
  • Help for Injured Owls
    • * Avian Flu
    • • What to Do
    • • Injured Owls
    • • Orphaned Owls
    • • The S.O.S. Raptor Hospital
    • • Raptor Rescue Orgs.
    • • Help For Other Injured Wildlife
  • Adopt-an-Owl...
  • Saving Britain's Owls
    • • Overview
    • • Wild Owl Nestboxes
    • • Keeping Owls as Pets
    • • Owls & The Law
    • • Nest Box Scheme
  • Education at S.O.S.
    • • S.O.S. Education Department
    • • Education Visits to S.O.S.
    • • Outreach Visits
    • • Higher & Further Education
    • • School and Group Projects
    • • The SOS Shop
    • • "The Screecher" Newsletter
    • • Group Talks
  • Encounters & Experiences
    • • Gift Passes
    • • Close Encounters
    • • Owl Encounters
    • • Meerkat Encounters
    • • Armadillo Encounters
    • • Porcupine Encounters
    • • Half Day Animal Keeper
    • • Half Day Bird Keeper
    • • Keeper for the Day
    • • The WILD Club 2025
  • Pellet Detectives
  • S.O.S. Events
  • We Are Hiring
  • Raptor Factors
  • Photography at S.O.S.
    • • 2024 Photo Competition Results
  • Home Fun For Kids!
  • The S.O.S. Blog
  • Volunteering at S.O.S.
    • • Help Us at S.O.S. H.Q.
    • • Volunteer Hosts
    • • Corporate Volunteers
    • • Join the Owl-Reach Team!
  • Hedgehog Care
  • Bees, Bugs & Butterflies
  • Suffolk's Endangered Wildlife
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Legacies & Donations
  • Local Events & Places to Stay
  • Our Sponsors
  • S.O.S. Privacy Policy
  • Use of CCTV at S.O.S.
  • S.O.S. Safeguarding Policy


The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
Stonham Barns
Pettaugh Road
Stonham Aspal IP14 6AT
e-mail:
info@owlhelp.org.uk

Tel: 03456 807 897
Option 3: General information
+ Adoptions, Courses etc.
Option 5: If you need help with an injured bird of prey

Reg. Charity No. 1086565

Matt gave demonstrations of the ancient art of falconry in front of the encampment...

Matt gave demonstrations of the ancient art of falconry in front of the encampment...

Stepping Back in Time

June 27, 2011

Falconry, or ‘Hawking’ as it used to be known, has been a popular pastime in Britain since the Middle Ages.  Most of us probably think of it as having been a sport for the wealthy during mediaeval times, but in fact it was also a valuable source of food for the less fortunate. 

The type of bird of prey you were allowed to keep at this time was very much dependent on your status.  Woe betide you if you were found to be in possession of a bird above your station in life; punishment could result in a fine or even imprisonment! 

The pecking order for owning a bird of prey was indeed taken very seriously, the following being the accepted order of possession:

  • Emperor - Eagle or Vulture
  • King - Gyr Falcon
  • Prince, Duke or Earl – Peregrine Falcon
  • Baron - Buzzard
  • Knight - Saker Falcon
  • Esquire - Lanner Falcon
  • Lady - Merlin
  • Young Man - Hobby
  • Yeoman - Goshawk
  • Priest - Sparrowhawk
  • Holy Water Clerk - Musket
  • Knave or Servant – Kestrel 

So, since many of our resident birds of prey are steeped in history, it seemed quite apposite that we should host a Mediaeval Weekend at the Sanctuary.  This was arranged to coincide with Father’s Day, giving all those hard working dads out there a treat to remember.  We enlisted the expert services of the ‘Black Knight Historical’ group, who began to arrive on Friday afternoon complete with mediaeval encampment and historical artifacts.
 
The weather wasn’t entirely kind, in fact it rained so heavily on Friday night that I was afraid we would find nothing but a soggy pile of tents on Saturday morning.  However the Black Knights are a stalwart bunch and one of them remarked cheerily “Just like mediaeval times!”  And it was a fantastic weekend.  There were knights & soldiers in combat, visitors trying their hand at archery and coin making and all around ‘mediaeval’ people were going about their daily lives cooking, weaving, making armour and giving us a real flavour of life in the middle ages.  It was a great success and we’ve since had many comments about how much visitors to the Sanctuary enjoyed the whole experience.

 The Mediaeval encampment hosted demonstrations of contemporary crafts...

The Mediaeval encampment hosted demonstrations of contemporary crafts...

  Longbowmen took part in a competitive shoot-out...

Longbowmen took part in a competitive shoot-out...

  The Minstrel kept everyone entertained with hits of the Middle Ages...

The Minstrel kept everyone entertained with hits of the Middle Ages...

  Meanwhile the kitchen fired up to feed the troops...

Meanwhile the kitchen fired up to feed the troops...

  Knights battled on valiantly...

Knights battled on valiantly...

  Entirely self-sufficient, clothing and footwear was fabricated on site...

Entirely self-sufficient, clothing and footwear was fabricated on site...

  "Ye Grub's Up!" was a frequent shout from the canteen...

"Ye Grub's Up!" was a frequent shout from the canteen...

 The Mediaeval encampment hosted demonstrations of contemporary crafts...   Longbowmen took part in a competitive shoot-out...    The Minstrel kept everyone entertained with hits of the Middle Ages...    Meanwhile the kitchen fired up to feed the troops...    Knights battled on valiantly...    Entirely self-sufficient, clothing and footwear was fabricated on site...    "Ye Grub's Up!" was a frequent shout from the canteen...

Small snippet of interest:  The proverb ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’ originates from mediaeval falconry.  The bird in the hand relates to the falcon on the glove, which was obviously very valuable and worth considerably more than two of its potential prey in the bush!

And the meaning?
It's better to have a small, definite advantage or asset than just the hope of a greater one.

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