Free guess what this is used for

[realspeed]

I have never ever come across one before but I was told its use. Have a guess

 

[mstphoto]

A Smokehouse?

 

[realspeed]

no sorry not even close see my message to you to find out

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Looks like an old game hanging house.

 

[realspeed]

Looks like an old game hanging house.

no sorry not even close see in message to you

 

[sphexx]

Usually buildings with lots of holes make me think of pigeonniers/dovecotes but that doesn’t seem to fit with so many holes though it is raised off the ground to deter rodents … umm .. I’ll go with dovecote .

 

[realspeed]

Not a dovcote but actually a BAT HOUSE. It was built so I am told for somewhere for bats to hang upside down during the day . this is in a heavilly wooded area only really known about by the locals in East Sussex. How strange is that?

 

[Box Brownie]

A bat hibercullum?

Edit.... Did not refresh before posting, so pleased to see I was close

Though I thought that such 'homes' were normally brick or stone with restricted access points.

 

[sphexx]

Not a dovcote but actually a BAT HOUSE. It was built so I am told for somewhere for bats to hang upside down during the day . this is in a heavilly wooded area only really known about by the locals in East Sussex. How strange is that?

They must’ve been batty to make that . The surrounding vegetation wouldn’t fit with dovecote and they are usually in a open area and so on. I guess maybe they were inspired by dovecotes as it has that appearance (can’t judge the size).

I guess my question would be that it looks quite old, long before people started protecting bats so … was that a thing back then? Also bats don’t need all those holes, they can get on quite well with just one or a few openings.

I suppose you might harvest bat droppings as fertiliser with a structure like that but that would mean they were ‘batshït crazy’ of course .

 

[sphexx]

Though I thought that such 'homes' were normally brick or stone with restricted access points.

That structure would have been plastered originally I expect if it were more enclosed but then the structure doesn’t look like the usual thing underlying lath & plaster work — not that I’m an expert on that. I’m assuming it’s somewhere in SE England but maybe it’s not .

 

[Mr Badger]

They must’ve been batty to make that . The surrounding vegetation wouldn’t fit with dovecote and they are usually in a open area and so on. I guess maybe they were inspired by dovecotes as it has that appearance (can’t judge the size).

I guess my question would be that it looks quite old, long before people started protecting bats so … was that a thing back then? Also bats don’t need all those holes, they can get on quite well with just one or a few openings.

I suppose you might harvest bat droppings as fertiliser with a structure like that but that would mean they were ‘batshït crazy’ of course .

Bats have been legally protected in the UK since the introduction of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in 1981, so that's quite some time ago. I'd guess the age of that building to be between 10 and 25 years old by the look of it in that photo. The structure of the building appears to offer loft space for bat species that prefer to roost in more open spaces, plus lots of gaps between the wooden waney lap cladding, which provides opportunity for bat species that prefer to roost in crevices.

Contrary to popular belief, many UK bat species squeeze into crevices to roost, rather than dangling upside down from the rafters (as bats are traditionally shown doing in cartoons, horror films, etc) The notable exception being lesser and greater horseshoe bats, which do indeed roost hanging upside down with their wings wrapped around their bodies.

You'll see that building is located adjacent what appears to be two hedgelines, which would provide the bats with a good navigational corridor to and from their roost. You'll also see that the timber hasn't been subjected to any timber preservative treatment, which may be toxic to bats, hence the building looking old and somewhat uncared for (appearances can be deceptive!). Anyone wanting more info on these fascinating animals should check out the Bat Conservation Trust website at https://www.bats.org.uk/

But anyone thinking of bat photo opportunities should remember that bats and their roosts are strictly protected by UK law against disturbance (amongst other things), and penalties upon conviction can include a criminal record, an unlimited fine and up to 6 months imprisonment per offence, and the seizure and forfeiture of any tool, machine or implement (such as camera kit!) involved in an illegal act. So bats and their roosts should be left well alone.

 

[realspeed]

Mr Badger​

Exactly correct which is why I was being vague at to exact location by just saying East Sussex. I even took that photo some distance away and used the camers for a closer photo instead of getting too close. Respect for our native animals and their habitant should be observed

 

[sphexx]

Bats have been legally protected in the UK since the introduction of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so that's quite some time ago. I'd guess the age of that building to be between 10 and 25 years old by the look of it in that photo. The structure of that building appears to offer loft space for bat species that prefer to roost in more open spaces, plus lots of gaps between the wooden waney lap cladding, which provides opportunity for bat species that prefer to roost in crevices.

Contrary to popular belief, many UK bat species squeeze into crevices to roost, rather than dangling upside down from the rafters (as bats are traditionally shown doing in cartoons, horror films, etc) The notable exception being lesser and greater horseshoe bats, which do indeed roost hanging upside down with their wings wrapped around their bodies.

You'll see that building is located adjacent what appears to be two hedgelines, which would provide the bats with a good navigational corridor to and from their roost. Anyone wanting more info on these fascinating animals should check out the Bat Conservation Trust website at https://www.bats.org.uk/

But anyone thinking of bat photo opportunities should remember that bats and their roosts are strictly protected by UK law against disturbance (amongst other things), and penalties upon conviction can include a criminal record, an unlimited fine and up to 6 months imprisonment per offence, and the seizure and forfeiture of any tool, machine or implement (such as camera kit!) involved in an illegal act. So bats and their roosts should be left well alone.

Yes you may be right about the age of the building though the vegetation tells you nothing, all that could grow up in 5-10 years I think. I’m still puzzled by the wooden lattice. Assuming it was complete originally it may have been untended to restrict human access but usually a metal mesh would have been chosen, and be more suitable, for that purpose.

Following on from my flight of fancy about the batshït crazy poo collectors (an occupation I followed as a schoolboy, though horses rather than Horseshoes were involved ) we need some legislation to rebalance our relationship with bats and deter them from disturbing humans, in my case by incessantly setting off my security camera in the evening, as they are currently doing . They do not even have the decency to fly slow enough to give decent quality image with my print camera!