Fonthill Grottoes is a 0.69

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre i ...

biological Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

, in woodland adjacent to Fonthill Lake in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, notified in 1994. Its SSSI designation is due to its roosting bats: the site is the sixth largest hibernaculum in Britain. The site consists of three subterranean

Grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high t ...

follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...

, constructed in the 18th century, split between two areas, one on the western side of the lake, at and one on the eastern side at . The three follies are named "The Dark Walks", "The Hermitage" and "The Quarry".

Biological interest

The site is used as a hibernation roost site by up to 207 bats of up to nine species. Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bats are among seven species which roost here on a regular basis, and Bechstein's Bat and

Barbastelle ''Barbastella'' is a genus of vespertilionid bats. There are seven extant species in this genus and one only known from fossil remains. Species The genus consists of the following species: * ''Barbastella barbastellus'' – western barbastelle ...

, two species rare in Britain, have each been recorded on several occasions.

Sources

Natural England citation sheet for the site
(accessed 31 March 2022)

External links

Natural England website
(SSSI information) {{SSSIs Wilts biological Grottoes Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1994