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Canal bats get tunnel vision


As well as being a fascinating and unique part of the canal’s industrial past the tunnels under Dudley are also home to one of the most important bat roosts on our entire network.

Deep under Dudley in the West Midlands there is a fascinating complex of canal tunnels and limestone caverns. Dudley Canal tunnel was originally used to transport limestone from underground mines, but is now operated by Dudley Canal Trust who run trip boats into the caverns and chaperone private boats through the system. As well as being a fascinating and unique part of the canal’s industrial past the tunnels are also home to one of the most important bat roosts on our entire network.

BW’s National Omnibus Team recently undertook stabilisation works to the tunnel's exposed limestone face and brickwork canopy to protect boats and their passengers from loose falling rock. Glyn Stewart the Omnibus team ecologist explains: "Several species of bat, including Daubenton's, Natterer's, whiskered and Brandt's, roost in the tunnels throughout the year, but the system is particularly important during the winter months when bats use them for hibernation."

Glyn was able to guide the designers, engineers and contractors through the tricky process of planning the works to avoid any negative impact on the bats while ensuring the essential repairs were completed. This including minimising the visual impact of the works, while retaining the valuable roosting habitat for bats. This August, Glyn completed the final stage of bat monitoring, which shows that the work was finished successfully and the tunnel is still a thriving habitat for the bats that live there.

BW Saving an endangered species

You may not realise that the Rochdale Canal has thriving populations of the extremely rare and protected plant Floating Water Plantain. In fact, this aquatic plant is so rare that the canal is designated a Special Area of Conservation – one of Europe’s highest designations of wildlife protection.

Because of its work in saving this plant, BW is now recognised as the European leader in its conservation.

During the restoration of the Rochdale Canal,19 aquatic habitat reserves were created to safeguard these rare plants. BW senior ecologist, Becki Anderson, has just finished monitoring the reserves by boat and explains: "The surveys I’ve been carrying out are part of an agreement we have with Natural England since the canal’s restoration and re-opening in 2003, to show how we are developing biodiversity. We now have enough information on this special site to demonstrate the success of the scheme."

BW national ecologist, Chris John, who has assisted Becki with the work adds: "The work that Becki’s been doing will hopefully demonstrate that we can remove some of the in-line reserves. This will allow the Floating Water Plantain to re-colonise the main channel of the canal and once again flourish as a wild plant."

Last updated: 20/09/2010