Nationally important bat roost discovered at Penrose

The Greater Horseshoe bat has established a nursery roost in a disused barn at Penrose this summer. This endangered bat only numbers approximately 5000 individuals in the UK and is restricted to the mild climates of south west England and south Wales. This new site is only the 5^th and most southerly recorded nursery roost for this species in Cornwall and is of national conservation importance.

 

Greater Horseshoe ©National Trust Images/Bat Conservation Trust/Hugh Clark

The discovery was made by Cornwall Environmental Consultants (CEC) Ltd, the trading arm of Cornwall Wildlife Trust. CEC were asked by us to survey the bat populations in buildings around the Stables at Penrose. The buildings have been monitored for Lesser Horseshoe bats for many years, but we needed to gain a full picture of how bats were actually using the buildings. The outcome of these surveys would then determine how to renovate the buildings.

CEC’s Senior Bat Ecologist, Steve Marshall, found at least 6 species of bats present and more Lesser Horseshoe bats using more buildings across Penrose Estate than had previously been counted, but the most momentous find is the new Greater Horseshoe nursery roost, an unexpected but exciting result of the survey.

“Penrose is a very exciting find. It is fantastic to see such a significant bat species thriving and that the National Trust takes their responsibility to protect them so sincerely….I think they were just as thrilled as I was when we discovered them!” (Steve Marshall CEC)

We are already putting measures in place to safeguard the roost from disturbance and working with CEC to see how it can be improved for the future. We knew that Greater Horseshoes were using our buildings and old mine workings for hibernation in the winter, but it’s great to know they’re choosing Penrose to raise their young. We think the bats were attracted to roost here due to the complex of unused old buildings and the variety of mature woodland, open parkland and Loe Pool; all of which provide a source of insects which the bats feast upon. The Trust manages the land around Loe Pool to try and maximise the wildlife benefit. The building they have been found in will undergo improvements for bats during the winter to encourage them back next summer.

The parkland immediately adjacent to the newly discovered bat roost is managed through a Higher Level Stewardship scheme by the Trust’s tenant farmer, the Wallis family. Natural England administer the scheme, which encourages farmers and land owners to manage land in a more environmentally sensitive way.

Jeremy Clitherow, Lead Adviser for Natural England in Cornwall, said: ‘We are very pleased to have an Environmental Stewardship agreement with the Wallis family that aims to help them manage Penrose Farm for its very important wildlife and historic features. This includes a plan to restore the landscape of the ancient Penrose parkland. On top of that Martin Wallis provides a valuable facility for visiting school children by showing them around the farm and educating them about how he balances food production with managing a high quality environment.’

 

The Parkland

Bat fact-file:

·         Of the 18 species of bat found in the UK, 10 can be found at Penrose.

·         Greater Horseshoes are the UK’s largest bat, around the size of a small pear.

·         Bats are an important part of our environment and sign of a healthy and biodiverse landscape.

·         In the 20^th century UK bat populations have declined by an estimated 70% and Greater Horseshoes have declined by 90%.

·         They are under threat from unsympathetic building developments, loss of habitat and changing farming practices

Laura, Area Ranger Penrose

Ponds, pirates and pooters: the past few months with the Wild Lizard Project

The past six months has seen pirates, elves and giant sea monsters at Poltesco with Mullion School, a small army of school children all investigating the amazing ponds at Windmill Farm and more seashore shenanigans that you can shake a piece of seaweed at!

Gathering seaweed on a blustery Poldhu beach to create a mermaid 

The Wild Lizard Project is now in its third year and is a joint funded project hosted by the National Trust in partnership with Natural England, the Helford Voluntary Marine Conservation Area Group and Cornwall Wildlife Trust. The project’s aim is to provide opportunities for children and their families to become more involved in their natural environment.

 From January until July this year the project has hosted over 1028 school children’s visits, worked with twelve schools from on the Lizard and beyond and has delivered and supported the delivery of 50 school visits in seven months ...phew! 

Pre-summer we had also run eight public events engaging with 84 children and 66 adults both locals and visitors, took part in three larger joint events with the tenants at Tregullas farm for Open Farm Sunday, Helford VMCA Cruise and Penrose Team for the Big Beach Picnic. We also had the opportunity to run the Forest Schools Association South West bi-annual meeting at Tremayne Woods.

At Open Farm Sunday at Tregullas Farm

The Forest School Gathering saw Forest School leaders from all over the South West for a weekend meeting and skills share at Tremayne Quay 

This year has seen the involvement of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, where the project organised and ran a series of events, talks, scrub bashes and study days as part of their Lizard Horizons - The Landewednack Windmill Conservation and Environmental Education Project.

Six classes came out to investigate the pristine ponds at Windmill Farm as part of the Cornwall Wildlife Trusts project

A series of study days was also organised at Windmill Farm run by local ecology experts

Tom in action at Windmill Farm!

We have been busy which is fantastic as it shows the project is very much valued locally by schools and their families as a provider of exciting experiences in the outdoors. None of which could be done without our amazing volunteers! As well as having Tom, our full time Volunteer Education Ranger on board we have had two work experience students and lots of time given by the National Trust volunteers. Over the past seven months (Jan-July) the project has received 878 volunteer hours and still counting!

Looking forward to the coming months, lots of schools are booking in making the most of the autumn weather and we have our October half term events. If you would like more information about the project or the visits and events we offer please go to the Linking the Lizard website (www.the-lizard.org) or drop me a line Claire.Scott@nationaltrust.org.uk

In search of The Lizard's lost shipwrecked souls

Pistil Cove, where the shipwreck victims possibly washed ashore. Photo M Hirst

 Recent survey work has brought archaeologists closer to solving a 300 year old shipwreck mystery at Lizard Point.

In November 1721, 207 unfortunate sailors lost their lives in a ferocious storm when their military transport galley the Royal Anne hit rocks and sank off Lizard Point. Just three people survived that fateful night by clinging to wreckage. Among the dead was Lord Belhaven the newly appointed Governor of Barbados, who was leaving Britain’s shores to take up the posting in mysterious circumstances after the untimely death of his wife.

The Charles, a similar galley to the Royal Anne

The Royal Anne was designed by the Marquis of Carmarthen, and had been launched in 1709 as a small and speedy warship, designed to be equally at home under oar and sail so as not to be outmanoeuvred by pirates.  She had fulfilled a variety of military postings, including protecting Russian trade off Norway, combating the Rovers of Sallee, notorious Moroccan based pirates, and she was sent to cruise Scottish waters during the Jacobite rebellion.

The wreck of the Royal Anne was found close inshore near Lizard Point by divers in the 1970s, who first located two guns, but the wreck’s identity was only clinched in the 1990s by the discovery of some silver cutlery with the Belhaven family crest. The wreck site was protected in 1993 although the savage rocks and huge Atlantic swells mean that only a scatter of objects survive. Other finds have included coins, watch parts, copper bowls and cannon shot.

It is believed that the dead in 1721 were buried, as was customary at the time, in un-consecrated ground.  The peaceful valley at Pistil just west of Lizard Point and 500m from the wreck site, has always been linked with this dreadful event, being one of the few places where the shore can be accessed.

The view seaward to Pistil Cove. Photo M Hirst

Local lore has it that the Lizard folk who went to bury the bodies could not complete this mammoth grizzly task within the day, but that when they returned next dawn, a pack of dogs had got their first and were tucking into a gruesome breakfast! Even to this day it is said that dogs cower when passing through the meadow, perhaps in shame at the actions of their ancestors. The story of Pistil Meadow fired the imaginations of later generations, with the likes of Daphne du Maurier and Wilkie Collins taking an interest in the tale.

Archaeologists at work

Eager to investigate the truth behind these tales, the National Trust has teamed up with archaeologists from Bournemouth University, Maritime Archaeological Sea Trust (MAST) and The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society (CISMAS) to survey Pistil meadow.

Recent geophys surveys using electromagnetic techniques, ground penetrating radar and earth resistivity have located a number of anomalies that could indicate mass graves. However, these do not seem to tally with writings in the 1850s that stated low irregular mounds chequered the surface of the field. The National Trust is working with MAST and Bournemouth University to explore the options for further stages of investigation.

Jim Parry National Trust archaeologist said ‘Research so far has revealed a fascinating story about the Royal Anne and her crew, but it would be fantastic to be able to finally answer the question as to where her shipwreck victims were laid to rest - if Pistil is indeed the spot. It is an extremely rare occurrence to find such a site.’

The Trust is working in partnership on plans for a limited excavation Summer 2016, and the information gleaned will help inform management of the site, and may allow it to be afforded legal protection as a grave in future.

Join National Trust Archaeologist Jim Parry and other experts for a guided walk to Pistil for more on the fascinating history of the Royal Anne on Saturday September 12^th. Meet 11am at National Trust Lizard carpark (opposite Lighthouse entrance). £2.50 per person, plus additional parking charges for non-members. Dogs on leads welcome. Booking not necessary.  Please call 01326 291174 for further information.

Rachel

Tom's round up on being a Wildlife Ranger on the Lizard

Just another day in the office

Originally coming from the Black Country, being based on the Cornish coastline is a little bit different from what I’m used to. I’d been volunteering for a while back home to try and get a career in conservation but was struggling to find a full time position due to lack of experience. Luckily I came across the opportunity to be a residential volunteer on the Lizard to finally put my skills to the test and get some practice in the field. Of course I wasn’t until after I applied that I released just how far away the Lizard actually is, but getting to work at such an awesome and otherworldly location has been one well worth the 'butt-numbing' car journey.

Sunrise at Housel Bay during a dawn watch

As a wildlife ranger I’ve got to spend half my time monitoring 'George' and 'Nora', the local pair of Cornish Choughs. At

Two of this year’s chicks getting their coloured rings so they can be tracked in the future

first I was a bit sceptical about how I would find nest watching duty, surely it must get a bit boring after a while? But one of the brilliant things about the choughs is their unpredictability. They’d have a habit of flying out from one direction, only to sneakily return when you weren’t looking from the other side. Then at other times you have them fly so close overhead you could almost touch them as they soared past with a “cheeaow!” It was a bit challenging at first to try and keep up with them and tell them apart from their
Jackdaw and Crow neighbours, but after a while I was soon picking out their calls and getting used to their favourite spots. It was great sharing their antics with the other nest watch volunteers and visitors. There's other great stuff to watch too, I’ll never forget seeing my very first basking shark. It was a dawn watch when I saw these two fins get closer and closer until finally I could see its massive silhouette under the water’s surface. Naturally some shifts weren’t quite as glorious as this and instead I’d have to battle a fierce easterly winds and monsoon-like rain. But getting to tag along with the BTO bird ringer and see this year’s brood of five chicks (Yoko, Willow, Whoopi, Yeats, and Bill) made it completely worthwhile!

Through the scope at the watchpoint – you could have picked a bigger rock mate!

I’ve spent the other half of my time down at the wildlife watchpoint at Lizard Point. 'The Point' always

seems to attract something different whether it’s a grey seal trying to haul out on a rock that its way too big for, having gannets dive just metres away for fish, or dolphins leaping across the horizon; you’re constantly seeing something new.  I was pretty daunted by the challenge of ID-ing all the marine species and seabirds I’d never seen before in the Midlands (do Herring Gulls count?). But after a few shifts with the other volunteers I was soon learning how to spot the regular species and where to look for them. With the help of the Cornwall Seal Group I‘m now able to recognise some of the seals by their fur patterns. It’s really rewarding getting to put your skills into practice and help visitors spot species they haven’t seen before, as well as trading tips and anecdotes of the wildlife around the Lizard. 

Lankidden Cove is well worth the scramble down

Working on the Lizard has been a truly unforgettable experience that’s given me so many new skills for the future. It's been privilege to work alongside such a friendly and dedicated team of rangers and volunteers who soon made the Lizard feel like home. Though I'm gutted the season is drawing to an end, I’m psyched to see what the future will bring and I know I’ll be back to visit in no time! 

- Tom

A garden visitor to the volunteer house at Poltesco

To learn more about what's it like being a Volunteer Wildlife Ranger  on the Lizard,watch this video: