Derelict cottage hope for bats

Keeper's Cottage has two cellar areas ideal for bats

Volunteers are restoring a derelict cottage in woods near Shepton Mallet in Somerset as it is the ideal habitat for the greater horseshoe bat.

Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT) says the species is in decline due to the loss of roosting and hibernation sites.

Volunteers will restore the ground floor of Keeper's Cottage in Harridge Woods and attach a lean-to-roof to stabilise temperatures in the cellars.

The cottage will also provide a site for the bats to roost, breed and feed.

The trust was awarded a £18,000 donation in 2007 from Biffaward which it said had really helped the greater horseshoe to thrive in the county.

These bats have declined significantly in northern Europe and are restricted to south west England and south Wales in Britain.

It is hoped that the restoration of the derelict cottage's lost ground floor and the new roof structure will increase the range of habitats available for a variety of bat species as the cottage has two cellar areas which are ideal for the creatures.