Council supporting new roosting sites for bats in Chesil Tunnel
Running deep beneath St Giles Hill in Winchester, Chesil Tunnel is an abandoned Victorian rail tunnel, owned by Winchester City Council, which provides the type of cool, dark environment favoured by bats.
Following a bat survey there in February, Friends of St Giles Hill Park and Hampshire Bat Group recently installed ten bat boards (wooden roosting boxes) inside the tunnel.
Natterer’s, and rare Brandt’s bats have previously been identified in the tunnel, and the bat boards are intended to attract more to roost there. In fact, the St Giles Hill area of Winchester has been identified as a bat ‘hot spot’ with seven of the 17 breeding species in the UK detected – including Noctule, Serotine, Pipistrelle and Soprano Pipistrelle, plus Daubenton’s along the Weirs.
Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergencies said:
“A key part of our Nature Improvement Plan is halting the decline in biodiversity across the Winchester district. The council already installs bat boxes as part of our planned roof maintenance programme for our council homes, but we were delighted to be approached by Friends of St Giles about the installation of ten bat boards in Chesil Tunnel. Working with, and supporting, partners and community groups who are committed to helping our natural environment and wildlife thrive helps the Council do so much more to protect and support nature across the district.”
Dr Harry Mycock of Friends of St Giles Hill Park said:
“We have tracked the bats on St Giles Hill and in the Chesil tunnel since March 2025 and identified that Chesil Tunnel could be utilised for bat roosting and hibernating. Winchester City Council kindly agreed and, together with members of the Hampshire Bat Group, I spent an afternoon installing the boards. The project was funded by the St Giles Hill Residents Association and the Hampshire Bat Group, and we will continue monitoring to track its impact.”