Come fly with me

LESSON number one: don’t wear a hat that resembles a small furry animal when you’re anywhere near an eagle of terrifying proportions and fearsome reputation.

“Get rid of the hat,” falconer Mark Presley laughs, even before I’ve got out of the Land Rover at the Yorkshire Dales falconry centre.

Is he joking? I think not.

And it’s not enough just to doff my headgear – it has to be completely hidden from the razorsharp vision of these amazing killing machines, one of which is enjoying a bit of free flying time and may just take a fancy to what looks like an easy lunch on his way back home.

Thankfully, the rest of Mark’s treasured birds of prey are safely in their daytime lodges at the Coniston Hotel, near Skipton. But he is right to be cautious. These are awesome hunters. They gaze unblinking from their perches with the silent menace of a Mafia boss.

There are 23 birds of prey at the centre, ranging in size from Boris, who hails from the Russian Steppes – any similarity with his mop-headed namesake is purely fanciful – to Ghengis, a Saudi Arabian golden eagle with a 6ft wing span, and a rare Forresters Cara Cara falcon from the Falkland Islands, to Harris hawks and buzzards, going down to cute little Southern white-faced owls from the Sahara. They are all popular with children who come to the centre on school visits.

And there are the two identical ferrets, imaginatively both named Stinky, which are used to flush out rabbits for the falcons to hunt.

Mark, 36, is equally passionate about working the birds and their conservation.

He says: “This is one of the few places in the country where people can have the first-hand thrill of flying an eagle, but also understand birds of prey and share in the study of their evolution.”

ALTHOUGH he has worked with birds of prey for more than 20 years, Mark is under no illusions about his position with them. He knows when he is hunting with them they see him as their equal, a hunting partner, but not necessarily their best friend. They are wild creatures that kill to survive – and that balance of respect between handler and hawk is what makes this experience so special.

As well as undertaking academic work into the preservation of endangered species, the Coniston centre runs residential courses for people wanting to own their own birds of prey and its links with local schools form part of the pupils’ key stage studies.

Falconry packages range from a half-day learning to handle the birds, to a full-day hunting falcons for game on the 1,400-acre Coniston estate. Just remember to observe the dress code so you remain the hunter – not the hunted.

The Coniston estate was bought by the Bannister family more than 20 years ago. After rebuilding the derelict Coniston Hall, the family opened a farm shop, then a tearoom and then started letting rooms. Now, the hotel has 71 bedrooms – 22 of which were added last year.

Another recent addition is the Huntsman’s Lodge, a spacious restaurant and bar with an amazing central fireplace and a complete glass wall giving stunning views over the 24-acre lake and on towards Malham and the Dales.

The family has strong country sports connections.

Highly successful racehorse owners, photographs of their winners share space on the walls of the hotel’s MacLeod’s bar with old hunting prints and bold photographic studies of modern-day hounds.

And speed obviously runs in the family Michael Bannister, who set up the business, is the cousin of Roger Bannister, the first fourminute miler.

But the love of country pursuits is the focus of their hotel. As well as the falconry centre, guests can sample fishing, shooting, 4x4 offroad driving, archery, walking and mountain biking.

Fishing is available on the lake, which is regularly stocked and is home to rainbow and brown trout. The estate also has a 1.5-mile stretch of the River Aire, which offers challenging fly fishing for wild brown trout.

Coniston’s shooting ground is the only Clay Pigeon Shooting Association Premier Plus venue in the North of England and one of a few chosen to train contenders for the summer Olympics. The ground, built into a natural amphitheatre, has a range of disciplines including skeet, down the line and 15 sporting layouts.

The most recent addition is an 86ft tower, giving game shooters the chance to practise for high birds.

For petrol-heads, there’s the Land Rover Experience – a not-for-the-faint-hearted opportunity to drive a £40,000 Land Rover Discovery through rivers, up and down 45 degree inclines and over an obstacle course that will make you wonder why you worried about mounting the kerb when you got into that tight parking spot.

And for those who like their sports a little less challenging, you can explore the estate along miles of cycle tracks or on one of the well signposted pretty walks After all that fresh Yorkshire air, what could be better than to collapse into one of the comfy sofas in front of the roaring fire in the Huntsman’s Lodge for a well-deserved gin and tonic before dinner?

The Coniston deservedly prides itself on its food credentials – locally sourced really does mean what it says here. Game, obviously, features very strongly on the menus, along with Dales lamb and beef and a great selection of fish.

To begin, I had smoked duck breast on grilled asparagus and Peter had seared pigeon breast with Irish cabbage and blueberry puree.

My main course was a lovely combination of venison with rhubarb jelly and juniper jus.

Peter’s choice of grouse, served traditionally with all the trimmings, was a great success – some of the most tender he’d tasted and well cooked to his request.

Puddings were goats’ cheese and lavender tart with sauce anglaise for me and a trio of lemon desserts – posset, parfait and brulee – for Peter.

Our room, which should really be described as a suite, with its expansive bed, comfy sofa and chairs, French doors leading to a terrace with views over the lake, and massive bathroom with a walk-in drench shower, was smart and bright. The decor was nicely balanced between soft-edged comfort and minimalist chic.

It was perfect for a good night’s sleep before tackling some more of those robust country activities – that is after setting yourself up with a classic and generous Yorkshire breakfast.

THE Coniston Hotel is only a few miles from the bustling town of Skipton – a gem of a traditional Yorkshire market town with many diverse attractions that make it well worth a visit.

We started our exploration at the castle, which is poised above the town’s High Street.

Now one of the best preserved and most complete in the country, Skipton Castle was falling into ruin in the 1950s when it was bought on a whim – and much to the relief of the town council fearful of having to pay for its upkeep – by jeweller Wilfred Frattorini. He spent the rest of his life – and a considerable amount of money – restoring the 11th Century stronghold and opened it to the public.

Now managed by his grandson, Sebastian, the castle is hugely popular with schoolchildren, who are treated to some very wellinformed tours led by engaging local guides.

It may be one of the smallest you will ever visit, but the Craven Museum and Gallery, tucked away in the Town Hall in the centre of the town, has a big ticket item that is a mustsee for anyone with an interest in literature.

Among the archaeological artefacts tracing the history of the Craven area and memorabilia of its industrial heritage is a copy of the Shakespeare First Folio, one of only four on permanent display in the world. Once the property of a Skipton mill owner, the Folio was recently donated to the museum by his family.

The free entry museum and gallery stages regular events and workshops, including an exhibition of works for sale by Craven-based artists, which runs until December 22.

Skipton’s award-winning High Street is a shoppers’ paradise with a mix of independent shops and famous brand names. It hosts a traditional market on the cobbles every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

The alleyways off the High Street lead to the colourful canal basin, where you can take a narrow boat trip on the the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Or walk to High Corn Mill, the first industrial mill to be built in the town, which today houses an art gallery and a water turbine which generates part of Skipton’s electricity supply.

SKIPTON’S not short of restaurants and cafes – ranging from bistros to awardwinning fish and chip cafes and a pie and mash shop – but one of the most unusual is the Russian Emporium and Tea Room, in the High Street.

Opened this year by Olga Penney and her daughter Karina, from Siberia, the cafe offers a staggering choice of 158 varieties of tea. They include Russian Caravan, a black tea traditionally brewed in a samovar – which we sampled – the wonderfully-named Chinese Gunpowder Pinhead and the Japanese Matcha green tea used in the famous tea ceremony.

In the cafe you could be tempted by grenky (Russian eggy bread), fish platters, zarkoye (a spicy beef stew), borsch, chicken Kiev, Russian caviar and wines from Georgia. Downstairs in the emporium of all things Russian – as well as the tea, teapots and china on sale, there is a glittering display of hundreds of Matryoshka dolls, ranging from £5 to £300.

I wonder what Boris the eagle would make of it.

Travel facts

The Coniston Hotel and Country Estate, Coniston Cold, Skipton, BD23 4EA. 01756-748080 theconistonhotel.com

Skipton Castle, 01756-792442 skiptoncastle.co.uk

Craven Museum & Gallery, 01756-706407 cravenmuseum.org

Russian Tea Room & Emporium. 01756-795939 russiantearoom.co.uk

For further details on Skipton and the surrounding area see visityorkshire.com

• Skipton’s Yuletide and Christmas Market is taking place today and tomorrow, with entertainment including Bjorn the Polar Bear, the Granny Turismos behaving badly on their outsize shopping trollies, naughty nun Musical Ruth and her Piano, the Tap Dancing Turkeys and Santa’s real reindeer.

At 4pm on both days, there is a procession of light along the High Street to Holy Trinity Church, where a traditional carol service takes place in the grounds.

See yorkshire.com/skipton for more details.