WW2 pill boxes to be bat homes, under charity plans
BBCWorld War Two pill boxes along a canal could be given a new lease of life as homes for bats under a charity's plans.
The Canal & River Trust staff and volunteers want to transform the two pill boxes at Garston Lock, near Reading, and Hamstead Lock, near Newbury, Berkshire.
The concrete walls and dark interiors of the structures, which were built as defences to stop potential enemy attacks during the war, make them "ideal" for bats to thrive in, said the charity.
Morgan Cowles, heritage team manager south at Canal & River Trust, said the work should give the pill boxes "a new lease of life and purpose to boost important species and habitats along the canal".
Panels will be installed at Garston Lock and Hamstead Bridge to tell the past story of the pill boxes and of their new use as bat habitats.
The charity said it has completed work across other Berkshire locks over the winter, including installing lock gate replacements at Hamstead Lock and Heales Lock.
