PC: BCP Council
In 2025, it was adapted to provide bats with a safe place to hibernate during winter.
Colin Morris said, “Protecting important sites like this, although small in stature are vital to the local population of bats and ‘once the word gets around in the batty world’ it’s likely to become a regular, long-term, safe and secure haven for them during the important hibernation period. A World War II pillbox in Mudeford Wood, Christchurch, Dorset, had been converted into a shelter for protected bat species. The concrete structure once served a military purpose, supporting defence and training ahead of operations such as the D-Day landings. The pillbox stands in Mudeford Wood, a designated Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) known for its rich biodiversity. The site was formerly RAF Christchurch airfield, where aircraft production and military exercises took place during World War II. BCP Council’s conservation team worked with Dorset bat ecologist Colin Morris to adapt the pillbox into a suitable hibernation shelter. A hibernaculum provides a secure chamber with stable temperatures and moist humidity, allowing bats to roost during hibernation while reducing the risk of interference from other mammals. The work included sealing the pillbox windows and installing a galvanised grille at the entrance. The grille allows bats to fly in and out freely while helping protect them from disturbance. These changes were designed to make the concrete structure suitable for use as a winter shelter. The project focuses on creating a secure environment for bats during an important period of their annual life cycle. New signage was also planned to inform visitors about the conservation work and the importance of bats to the ecosystem. Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, described the work as an innovative project that gives an important piece of local heritage a new purpose. Mudeford Wood supports several protected bat species, including Common Pipistrelle, Brown Long eared and Serotine bats. The new hibernaculum is intended to provide these local populations with a safe place to shelter during winter. Hibernation sites are never as interesting as the summer, nursery sites and often overlooked, but without them, bats would struggle to survive.”