Hestercombe House
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST240287 | — | Favourable | 0.05 | 2014-02-14 |
| ST241287 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 0.03 | 2014-02-14 |
Description
Description The site constitutes a summer maternity roost and winter hibernacula for a colony of lesser horseshoe bats Rhinolophus hipposideros. Counts indicate that it is consistently one of the two largest in South West England and that it is of national significance. Situated one mile to the north of Taunton, Hestercombe House is a former country house and estate consisting of mixed woodland, pasture, lakes and landscaped gardens. The colony of lesser horseshoes utilise two roof voids within the former stable block and domestic outbuildings as maternity breeding roosts during the summer months, with a small number of bats also using the roofs as hibernation sites during the winter. Other Information A new site. The lesser horseshoe bat is protected under Section 9 and included on, Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended. It is listed under Annex II of the EC Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna 92/43/ EEC and is a Priority Species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
Species mentioned
Show the 1 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
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IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lesser horseshoe bat | Rhinolophus hipposideros | LC | bat | vespertillonidae |