Bats in North Pennines · AditNow Community

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PeteJ
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

Note: if you find that reading about bats in mines raises your blood pressure and causes paroxysms of rage, read no further........

Scroll down - provided you have heart monitor next to your armchair.

North Pennines AONB Conservation officer is looking for suitable old mines where bat detectors could be installed over the coming winter. I have suggested a couple of places where either access is theoretically impossible to the average explorer ( owners with shotguns etc) or where the level is short, runs to a forehead or is thought to not go very far beyond a collapse. Good locations are near water and/or woodland.

Any thoughts? (':curse:')(';(')

Pete Jackson
Frosterley
01388527532

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Mr Ed
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

I have seen bats in one of the Hilton mines - as its within the Warcop range access is only available with permission on non-firing days.

Do not mess with the forces of Nature, for thou art small and biodegradable!

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Fairly sure I've never seen a bat in a mine north of Skipton to be honest...

rhychydwr
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"RJV" wrote:
Fairly sure I've never seen a bat in a mine north of Skipton to be honest...

You probably did look long enough 😉 Plenty of mines in Scotland with bats. Most are gated, so beware what you let on.

Cutting coal in my spare time.

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"rhychydwr" wrote:
Most are gated, so beware what you let on.

As I say, there aren't any...

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

In all honesty i've never seen a single bat in a mine in the North Pennines, but....

How about this one at Yew Tree ?
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/photo/Yew-Tree-Fluorite-Mine-2-User-Album-Image-64295/

Goes about 50m tops before a massive collapse, near a stream and woods. Nothing in there worth seeing, gets no visitors.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"RJV" wrote:
Fairly sure I've never seen a bat in a mine north of Skipton to be honest...

I'm sure I've seen some small burnt lumps on the floor after Mr. Fellows has been past! :devil:

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

gNick
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

No bats this side of the Pennines, plenty of batty though...

Coat my I'll get 😞

Don't look so embarrassed, it's a family trait...

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

I can confirm what Ed says there are bats in Hilton.
I have seen several over the years!
Of course you are not supposed to be in there to see them!
I can also categorically state this mine is dangerous!
On one occasion Robert moved about half a metre to the right and then a large slab came down, just where he had been standing!
On another occasion we re-entered a passage we had been looking at the previous week only to find it partially blocked with yet more parts of the roof!
So my advice here is keep a look out for the army and definitely keep a close eye on the roof!

moorlandmineral
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#10

"John Lawson" wrote:
I can confirm what Ed says there are bats in Hilton.
I have seen several over the years!
Of course you are not supposed to be in there to see them!
I can also categorically state this mine is dangerous!
On one occasion Robert moved about half a metre to the right and then a large slab came down, just where he had been standing!
On another occasion we re-entered a passage we had been looking at the previous week only to find it partially blocked with yet more parts of the roof!
So my advice here is keep a look out for the army and definitely keep a close eye on the roof!

Ahhh that was so many years ago!!! Not been there for a long time!! 😉 You see quite a few bats in some of the mines in Ireland, there's an old Manganese trial near Blessington Co. Wicklow (Clogh Leigh) which had them in...
When we applied for planning permission for an extension to our former home (A gatehouse cottage built 1868) we had to get a Bat survey done as they had taken up residence for part of the year in the large attic space!!

sparty_lea
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#11

Mines that meet their criteria of near water and trees (and also dont do much)
Couple of levels near ashgill force, one bythe waterfall, one lower down in the field next to the tees.
Widley Water Level.
Blackett level.

However of the mines where I've actually seen bats namely wetgrooves, honister, hilton, none are near trees or water so I'm not sure they are wanting to look in the right places.

There are 10 types of people in the world.

Those that understand binary and those that do not!

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#12

Wetgrooves is near enough to water if you go on a day when a winter's worth of snow melts into it it during the course of an afternoon... ::)