If you’ve ever watched one of the falconry demonstrations at Mont Orgueil and thought what a fantastic job that would be, now is your chance!
Jersey Heritage is looking for a new falconer to continue captivating visitors at the Castle. The current Castle Falconer, Mike Entwistle, is retiring from his Living History role and his replacement is being sought.
Chris Addy, Jersey Heritage’s Sites Curator, said: ‘Jersey Heritage has provided falconry demonstrations at Mont Orgueil for many years. It was an activity central to medieval life and the Castle Falconer is an important costumed role at what is one of our most popular visitor sites. Mike has done a fantastic job for us and his replacement needs to be someone with a passion for local history and who enjoys being around animals, while also relishing the opportunity to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with our visitors.’
No previous experience is necessary as the successful candidate will be trained over the next couple of months, ahead of starting demonstrations in May. Although it is a paid role, the training itself is on a voluntary basis and will be with Richard Hall, of Jersey Falconry, who will teach the new Falconer how to handle and work with the hawk, Sovereign.
Mike will also share his experience and knowledge on delivering the Living History role of Castle Falconer to visitors. The Falconer delivers demonstrations at Mont Orgueil two days per week from May to the end of September.
Mike said: ‘This is a unique role that engages the historic skills of a falconer and an ability to capture the imagination of visitors to Mont Orgueil. I found it very rewarding as people always enjoyed my falconry demonstration and were excited to see a trained hawk flying free at the Castle.’
Anyone interested in applying for the job can find more details at www.jerseyheritage.org/about-us/jobs/. The closing date is 25 February 2022.
One Response
A falconer? Perhaps we should consider historic skills of a bear-baiter too and their ability to enlighten visitors to the castle. The cruelty involved in the capture, breeding, training and display of wild animals for our pleasure demeans us all, and it is sad to see Jersey Heritage seeking to preserve this tradition.