The PLPT land is rich in military archaeology from the Napoleonic era and WWII. The larger structures from 1941 have suffered many years of neglect and misuse: the Type 22 pillbox as a dump and the Observation Post as a sheep-shelter and party venue resulting in an accumulation of debris from those two activities.

For some time we’ve had plans to convert them into bat roosts, as has been done in similar buildings elsewhere. This year, thanks to the efforts of our fund-raiser Pam Voice, we were awarded grants to finance this initiative.

The first step was to clean out the rubbish. As you can see in the photos, the pillbox had acquired many layers of junk, including galvanized water tanks, barbed wire and pizza promotional leaflets. It was necessary to hire a skip to get rid of it all.

The next step was to block all gun loops except one, in which a narrow slot was left for bat access.

Work has begun on installing interior structures from which bats can hang. Quotes were sought from steelwork firms, one of which has been asked to install steel doors in both pillbox & Observation Post and a window grille in the latter.

Cleaning the Observation Post was an easier job, carried out by two hard-working volunteers who scraped and swept up sheep dung and drinks containers.