Second World War pill boxes on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Berkshire have been transformed into homes for bats. The work has been carried out by volunteers and the Canal & River Trust at locations including Garston Lock and Hamstead Lock.
WARTIME relics reborn into havens for bat species
VOLUNTEERS and colleagues at the Canal & River Trust have transformed two of the structures at Garston Lock, near Reading and Hamstead Lock, Newbury – which first appeared along the canal as part of a defence line during the war – to give them a new purpose 80 years after they were first built.
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Their thick concrete walls and roofs create the perfect environment for bats to thrive. The canal is home to a vast range of wildlife; in Berkshire alone, 12 of the UK’s 18 bat species can be found, such as crevice-loving bats like the common pipistrelle and whiskered bat and cave dwellers like the greater and lesser horseshoe bats.
The trust held heritage training courses to equip volunteers with the skills to conserve these and other historic structures on the canal, bringing benefits to historical assets for decades to come.
Pill boxes were constructed with slits in the concrete walls, so weapons could be fired at an approaching enemy. Four out of five of the slits in the structures at Hamstead Lock have been covered and a door added to create a dark and undisturbed environment for bats. Boxes have also been installed inside, providing cosy roosting places.
The conversion work and the time spent by volunteers has been made possible by a grant from Historic England and through funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Morgan Cowles, heritage team manager south at the trust, said: “Repurposing these pill boxes to become new homes for bats is a fantastic way of repairing and transforming the historic structures that line the canal to give them a new lease of life and purpose to boost important species and habitats along the canal.
“This work last year allowed for us to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the impact the canals had during this period in the country.
“We have worked with enthusiastic volunteers to provide them with the training needed to continue caring for these and other historic structures that are a part of our heritage along the canal. Volunteers have also undertaken survey work to identify the locations of the pill boxes as more than 130 were built on the canal alongside 45 anti-tank obstacles built as defences.
“We are grateful to the volunteers for their hard work and to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and Historic England for enabling us to deliver this work to protect our heritage and boost biodiversity.”
Interpretation panels have been installed at Garston Lock and Hamstead Bridge to tell the past story of the pill boxes and of their new purpose.
As reported, the trust has been undertaking a wide-ranging programme of major maintenance and preservation works to keep the canal navigable. Works includes lock gate replacements at Hamstead Lock and Heales Lock and refurbishment and repairs at Woolhampton Lock and Brunsdon Lock. The top and bottom end gates of Ham Lock at Thatcham have been replaced through the People’s Postcode Lottery.
