| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Example - Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) | |
  Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Area of Search | Gloucestershire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SO534023 |
| Coordinates | 51°43′05″N2°40′31″W / 51.717933°N 2.675229°W Coordinates: 51°43′05″N2°40′31″W / 51.717933°N 2.675229°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 0.005 hectare |
| Notification | 1995 |
| Natural England website | |
Sylvan House Barn (grid reference SO534023 ) is a 0.005-hectare (0.012-acre) stone built barn near the village of St Briavels, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Because of its breeding bats, the site was notified as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1995. [1] [2]
The Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, distinct from latitude and longitude. It is often called British National Grid (BNG).
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In the North American area, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain. As a result, the term barn is often qualified e.g. tobacco barn, dairy barn, sheep barn, potato barn. In the British Isles, the term barn is restricted mainly to storage structures for unthreshed cereals and fodder, the terms byre or shippon being applied to cow shelters, whereas horses are kept in buildings known as stables. On the Continent, however, barns were often part of integrated structures known as byre-dwellings. In addition, barns may be used for equipment storage, as a covered workplace, and for activities such as threshing.
St Briavels is a medium-sized village and civil parish in the Royal Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England; close to the England-Wales border, and 5 miles (8 km) south of Coleford. It stands almost 800 feet (240 m) above sea level on the edge of a limestone plateau above the valley of the River Wye, above an ancient meander of the river. To the west, Cinder Hill drops off sharply into the valley.
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Sylvan House Barn 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 notified site consists of the roofspace of the barn and the roof of an adjacent lean-to, in total an area of 0.005 hectares.
The lesser horseshoe bat, is a type of European bat related to but smaller than its cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. The species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped nose.
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved. It also has a responsibility to help people enjoy, understand and access the natural environment.
A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free standing lean-to structures are generally used as shelters. One traditional type of lean-to is known by its Finnish name laavu.
