Photographic Hides for Photography & Filming Red Kites
Due to the Coronavirus advice from the Government we have closed the photographic hides temporarily. Bookings made before the Coronavirus will be honoured at a future date.
Please note: Photographic hides are available Saturday – Wednesday, (closed Thursdays & Fridays) throughout the year, EXCEPT during School holidays, when we will be open every day. 
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Whilst hide space may be available to book on the day, it is advisable to pre-book your hide online the day before needed to avoid disappointment as they can be very popular and spaces in each hide are limited.
Please take a note of the date you have booked. Gigrin Farm can only guarantee your place in your chosen hide on the selected booked date. If you need to change the date you have chosen, or wish to cancel your booking, please contact us by phone or email 48 hours prior to your booking. We may not be able to accommodate any changes made within 48 hours of a booking.
Please note that to confirm a hide booking, it needs to be both booked, and paid for online.
Although we welcome dogs to the farm, dogs are not allowed in the photographic hides.
The hides we have to offer are the Wheelchair friendly hide, Gateway hide, Tower hide, Big Tower hide and Kite Field hide.
While the normal kite feeding hides are more than adequate for photography for those with compact SLRS and pocket cameras, we have built these specialist photographic hides for photographers with lenses 300mm and upwards.
How to photograph red kites by Graeme Eaton
Normal admission to the farm is included in the prices below
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Professional photographic hide
This hide has the same roof arrangements as the tower – the front half of the hide has no roof so allowing full access to birds in flight and those coming in for food, while the rear of the building has cover in case of unpredictable weather. This hide is suitable for wheelchair photographers and a seat will be available inside for use by an assistant if required. Outside there is room to park a vehicle next to the ramp. The entrance is over 850mm wide.
Admission to this facility is £20.00/day. This hide is for 1+1
Please bring your Paypal receipt with you (on paper or on your phone).
Clothing. As you will be very visible from above it would be prudent to wear unremarkable colours.
Details of other wheelchair accessible hides and facilities at Gigrin can be found by clicking Here.
Dogs are not allowed in this hide.
Booking Form
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Gateway photographic hide
This is around 12ft closer to the kites than the towers. The aperture of this facility reaches from the roof board down to the level of the existing hides windowsills. This hide will take 3 (was 5) people.
Admission to the Gateway hide is £20.00/person.
Please bring your Paypal receipt with you (on paper or on your phone).
The image shows the window area. This gives a major advantage for large lenses and film cameras.
Steve Plume has used the Gateway – see his images on flikr.
Please note: Photographic hides are available Saturday – Wednesday, (closed Thursdays & Fridays) throughout the year, EXCEPT during School holidays, when we will be open every day.
Dogs are not allowed in this hide.
Booking Form
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Tower photographic hide
The Tower on the right is around 5m (16ft) wide, and about 2.1 meters (7ft) deep. Benches and coat hooks are under the roofed area of this photographic hide. The gated stairs runs up the left side of the hide.
This hide can accommodate 2 (was 4) persons with tripods or without.
Admission to the Tower hide is £25/person.
Please bring your Paypal receipt with you (on paper or on your phone).
Clothing. As you will be very visible above the roof-line it would be prudent to wear unremarkable colours..
These towers have a partial roof as protection should the weather be fickle, a bench is fixed at the rear of the hide and coat hooks are on the left side. They have a green line on their floors behind which standing is permitted in the hide should be at least 10 minutes before feeding begins as trials have shown disturbance to the birds when heads first pop above the parapet.
Steve Plume has used the Tower – see his images on flikr.
Dogs are not allowed in this hide.
BOOKING FORM
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Photographic hides are available Saturday – Wednesday, (closed Thursdays & Fridays) throughout the year, EXCEPT during School holidays, when we will be open every day.
The Big Tower hide
This is similar in design but is 1.5m taller than the existing tower, and is just over 10m wide.
The stairs runs up the back of this hide, with a gate at the bottom and a rest at the halfway point.
This hide can accommodate 3 (was 7) persons with tripods or without.
Admission to the Big Tower hide is £30/person.
Dogs are not allowed in this hide.
Booking Form
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Kite Field photographic hide
To reach this hide you will go through the gate into the kite-feeding field, and, because of this, you must be in place before the tractor arrives to feed the kites.
Food for the kites is placed on the small bank that rises ahead of this hide.
This provides photographic opportunities, for the experienced photographer, which are unavailable from any other hide.
This hide is only recommended for experienced photographers.
It is much harder to photograph the kites from this hide (because they are so close).
Some stunning results can be achieved, but only with the correct photographic equipment.
For this reason we will not accept bookings for this hide for birthday celebrations, etc. or for those expecting this to be an easier route to taking red kite photographs.
The Kite Field hide takes up to 3 (was 5) photographers, with tripods, and faces north across the field.
Door in side of kite field hide
Front of kite field hide
Admission to the Kite Field hide is £45/person.
Dogs are not allowed in this hide.
BOOKING FORM
A new sunken hide is currently being constructed. It should be available by mid September
