Upper Battlefield, England
As we were driving from Wales to Coventry, we were looking for something to do along the way, so we decided to make a stop at the Battlefield Bird of Prey Centre. The Bird of Prey Centre has over 40 different birds of prey, including falcons, owls, and hawks. Overall, it was a neat diversion from driving across the English countryside, but as is stated on the website, the visit is rather brief. Once you’ve stared at a bird for a little bit in a large cage, you are kind of ready to move on to the next bird. Granted, the creatures are fascinating, and the Battlefield Bird of Prey Centre has trained birds, not rescue birds, as I have witnessed in many other similar areas.
When we left the Battlefield Bird of Prey Center, we were a little hungry, and fortunately, the Battlefield 1403 Farm Shop was open. Inside was Sparrow’s Cafe, where we had a delicious, filling lunch. The menu is seasonal, includes local ingredients, and is decently priced. We would have been more willing to purchase items from the farm shop, but we were only going to be in England for three more nights, so we did not want to have extra groceries that we would need to dispose of before we left the country.
Finally, we were wondering which battlefield we were visiting. The site of the Bird of Prey Center, the Farm Shop, and the Cafe were all on the land that was used for the 1403 Battle of Shrewsbury. Although I was familiar with some of the people involved in the battle, including King Henry IV and Henry “Hotspur” Percy. The battle also featured Prince Henry, the future King Henry V. The battle resulted in the death of Henry “Hotspur” Percy and solidified the reign of King Henry IV. Today, the Hotspur name lives on in the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which was named after Henry Percy. Things did not end well for Hotspur, who had his body salted, speared, quartered, and sent to the far reaches of England. Henry IV and Henry V were immortalized by Shakespeare.
Overall, the Battlefield was a neat stop and was worth a quick visit. The Bird of Prey Centre would probably have been better with more interaction with the birds. Sparrow’s Cafe was excellent, and the museum at least told the story, though it is difficult to have too many artifacts from a battle fought over 600 years ago. As with all battlefields, it is more meaningful if you understand the story of how the battle occurred and the people who were involved in the fighting.
