Blaisdon Hall
{{Short description|Grade II* listed building at Blaisdon in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|image=220px
|image_caption=An aerial photograph of the hall
|name= Blaisdon Hall
|aos=Gloucestershire
|interest=Biological
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SO698170}}
|coordinates = {{coord|51.851222|-2.439124|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
|area=0.07 hectare
|notifydate=1995
|enref=1007183
}}
Blaisdon Hall ({{gbmapping|SO698170}}) is a Grade II* listed building at Blaisdon.{{cite web |title=Blaisdon Hall |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1121880 |publisher=Historic England |accessdate=29 October 2019}} It includes a {{convert|0.07|ha|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1995.[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1007183 Natural England SSSI information on the citation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025041143/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1007183 |date=25 October 2012 }}[http://www.fdean.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=6464&tt=graphic Forest of Dean District Local Plan Review, adopted November 2005, Appendix D 'Nature Conservation Site Designations Within the Forest of Dean District', Sites of Special Scientific Interest] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192727/http://www.fdean.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=6464&tt=graphic |date=29 October 2013 }}
Blaisdon Hall supports a breeding roost of Lesser horseshoe bats which consists of one fifth of the known Gloucestershire breeding population, and has been deemed by Natural England to be of national importance. The site comprises part of the roof void, roof tiles, roof timbers, the flanking walls of the Hall and the nearby workshop. Pipistrelle bats and Brown long-eared bats also are recorded using the Hall.
History
The hall was built in 1876 by William Crawshay.{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.blaisdonhall.co.uk/history/ |publisher=Blaisdon Hall |accessdate=29 October 2019}} It was extended in 1907 by P. Stubbs. In 1935 it was sold and turned into an agricultural school.
Architecture
The two-storey Jacobean style stone building has slate roofs. At the rear are two projecting wings with a courtyard between them. On the right of the front is a four-storey tower with a porte-cochere.
Location and habitat
The site is one of a series of Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley (Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire). These sites support (between them) breeding and hibernation roosts for Lesser and Greater horseshoe bats. This is of European importance. Other sites in the group in Gloucestershire (all of which are SSSIs) include the breeding sites of Caerwood And Ashberry Goose House, Dean Hall Coach House & Cellar and Sylvan House Barn. Hibernation sites include Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel, Devil's Chapel Scowles, Old Bow And Old Ham Mines and Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine.
The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean are one of the main locations for Lesser horseshoe bats because of the deciduous woodlands and, sheltered valleys, which provide a good feeding area, and the underground systems which provide roosting and breeding sites.
The citations for the series of sites provide common information.
Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites/ Safleoedd Ystlumod Dyffryn Gwy a Fforest y Ddena are recognised as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive.[http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0014794 Information on Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites/ Safleoedd Ystlumod Dyffryn Gwy a Fforest y Ddena Special Area of Conservation designation]{{Cite web |url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/SAC_list.asp |title=Joint Nature Conservation Committee Listing of Special Areas of Conservation |access-date=20 September 2012 |archive-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502003700/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/SAC_list.asp |url-status=dead }}
Conservation
Natural England reports (unit of assessment report 2011) that the numbers of Lesser horseshoe bats remained the same as at citation (by chance). This was 187 (8 August 2011 count). Roof spaces were not accessed and considered to be inaccessible without causing structural damage and damage to the roost.[https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1007183 Natural England SSSI information on the Blaisdon Hall unit]
References
{{Reflist|2}}
SSSI Source
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121025041143/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1007183 Natural England SSSI information on the citation]
- [https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1007183 Natural England SSSI information on the Blaisdon Hall unit]
External links
{{Commons category|Blaisdon Hall}}
{{Listen
| filename = Keoka_Lesser_Horseshoe_1.ogg
| title = Lesser horseshoe bat recorded on a heterodyne bat detector set to 107 KHz
}}
- [http://www.naturalengland.org.uk Natural England] (SSSI information)
{{SSSIs Gloucs biological}}
Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire
Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1995