Medieval churches are lasting features in a changing landscape and churchyards can offer rich habitat for wildlife, including the insects that bats eat.

At least eight of the 17 species of bats breeding in Britain use churches to some extent. Old churches are often complex in structure, and over the centuries many gaps have formed that allow bats to enter the building. Inside, cracks and crevices in the supporting timber frame are used by roosting bats. During summer months, roof and eaves voids can house maternity colonies.

The church of St Michael & All Angels was made redundant in 2014 and since 2015 has been looked after by the Friends of Friendless Churches. In 2015, a grant was secured to complete works to the church to secure its future. Work included a complete new roof as well as internal works to the tower. As the works would impact on the bats, a development licence was obtained from Natural Resources Wales. The works included new access points to allow the bats to continue to access the church. Since the work has been completed, the number of bats using the church has increased!

Greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, brown long eared, common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and Natterer’s have all been recorded roosting at the church. The greater and lesser horseshoe bats have been recorded within the tower, while the brown long eared’s roost within the church itself. The Natterer’s bats utilise a space between the coping stones and the pipistrelle bats roost between the slates and felt.

This Church has since May 2013, been used as a hugely important and very valuable training resource by the Bat training partnership of Dr Sandie Sowler and Richard Crompton. The trainees are all professional ecological consultants at various stages in their career seeking knowledge and ‘hands on’ experience with bats and evidence of their presence, leading to a SNCO Bat Survey Licence. The interior of the main part of the church has consistently provided evidence of three bat species (pipistrelles, Natterer’s bats and brown long eared bats) in the form of droppings, characteristic urine staining, live bats and occasionally dead bats.

The value of such a resource to this profession cannot be underestimated.

Please note that all species of bat and their breeding sites or resting places (roosts) are protected under the Conservation and Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). It is an offence for anyone intentionally to kill, injure or handle a bat, to possess a bat (whether live or dead), disturb a roosting bat, or sell or offer a bat for sale without a licence. It is also an offence to damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place used by bats for shelter, whether they are present or not. Licences are available from Natural Resources Wales to allow actions that would otherwise be unlawful.

Further information is available from:
Kite Ecology – 07867 805055
Natural Resources Wales – 0300 065 3000
Bat Conservation Trust (Wales) – 01269 268768