Bats, Stars & Still Evenings
Because some of the best things happen when you stop…and wait.
As the sun drops behind the Shropshire hills and the farm settles into evening, Cross Bank Farm becomes somewhere quietly extraordinary. This is not a bat walk. There is no guide leading you through a landscape and no guaranteed wildlife spectacle. What there is, is a thoughtfully arranged field, a reclining chair with a warm blanket, a hot drink in your hand and the genuine possibility of something wonderful happening overhead.
The bats that live at Cross Bank Farm emerge at dusk and hunt across the fields with extraordinary precision, darting, swooping and changing direction in ways that shouldn't be physically possible. They may appear in numbers. They may be fleeting. That's rather the point. As darkness deepens, the stars come out over the Shropshire countryside, away from the noise and light of town and the farm settles into a stillness that is increasingly hard to find anywhere.
Arrive, settle into your lounger, pull a blanket around you and let the evening do what it does. Bat detectors are available so you can hear the echolocation, a sound most people have never heard before and never quite forget.
You'll leave with a jar of something handmade from Cross Bank Farm and the kind of calm that takes a little while to wear off.
This is not a guaranteed experience. It is an invitation to slow down in a beautiful place and see what happens.
£35 per person
What to expect
2000 - Arrival and welcome. Hot drinks, introductions and a brief guide to the evening, what to look for, what to listen for.
2100 - Into the field — bat watching begins as dusk falls.
2200 - Stars emerge — questions welcome, no rush
2230 - Take-home jar and goodbyes.
Timings are approximate and will vary seasonally as dusk shifts throughout the year.
This is an outdoor evening experience in the open air, please dress warmly and in layers, even in summer, as temperatures drop quickly after dark. Sturdy flat footwear suitable for a field is recommended.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing, these will be clearly pointed out on arrival.
We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
This experience runs from late spring through to early autumn when bat activity is at its peak. Dates are weather dependent and in the event of heavy rain or strong winds we will contact you to rearrange.
Gift vouchers available.