Sylvan House Barn
Sylvan House Barn is a small stone barn near the village of St Briavels in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The protected area covers the roof space of the barn and an adjacent lean-to, totaling 0.005 hectares (0.012 acres). It was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1995 because it provides a breeding roost for Lesser horseshoe bats, making up about one fifth of Gloucestershire’s known breeding population and being of national importance.
The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean are important for Lesser horseshoe bats due to their deciduous woodlands, sheltered valleys, good feeding areas, and underground systems that offer roosting and breeding sites. Sylvan House Barn is part of a group of SSSIs in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley that protect breeding and hibernation sites for Lesser and Greater horseshoe bats.
Other Gloucestershire sites in this group include Blaisdon Hall, Caerwood and Ashberry Goose House, and Dean Hall Coach House & Cellar. Hibernation sites include Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel, Devil’s Chapel Scowles, Old Bow and Old Ham Mines, and Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine.
The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites are also recognised as a Special Area of Conservation under European law.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:08 (CET).