Birkenhead Railway Goods Yard Pillbox - Parkgate, UK - World War II Sites on Waymarking.com

The railway line closed in in 1962 but has been converted to 'rails to trails' cycle and walking path and so many people pass by here which may have helped to ensure the pillbox still survives.

In recent rears it has been converted to a Batbox and a nearby information board has information about its original construction and its current use.

Parkgate Batbox

Pillboxes are concrete dug-in guard posts, normally equipped with loopholes through which to fire weapons. The originally jocular name arose from their perceived similarity to the cylindrical and hexagonal boxes in which medical pills were once sold.

The World War 2 pillbox was constructed in 1940 to defend the railway and slow an enemy advance in the event of paratroopers being dropped on the marshes as part of an invasion force. Many thousands of pillboxes of various designs were constructed all over the country as part of the country's ant-invasion defences in WW2. This relatively small hexagonal box was typical of many which were situated in this type of location, giving its occupants a clear view of anyone approaching along Station Road or via the Ropewalk.

Parkgate Pillbox lay derelict and unloved for many years, so Cheshire West and Chester Council harnessed the support of the local community to give a new lease of life. Due to its location on the Ropewalk car park and close proximity to the Wirral Way, the structure lends itself perfectly to providing a natural habitat for roosting bats. Appropriate adjustments have been made to the building in order to attract species native to our area.

Chioldren from one of the local Primary schools attended a bat building workshop and produced a number of new boxes that have been installed inside the Pillbox and on the surrounding trees. Bat boxes are artificial roosts designed to encourage bats into areas where there are few roosting sites. Bats do not like draughts, and prefer well insulated boxes where temperature and humidity remain constant.

Who could live here?
The species of bat that you're most likely to see in here are Pipistrelles, long-eared and the Lesser horseshoe.

Bats Need Insects!
Bats have huge appetites! For example, a tiny common pipistrelle can eat around 3000 midges, mosquitoes and other small flies in a single night. This location lends itself to a constant stream of midges from the marsh lands.

Admission Fee: None Opening Days/Times: All day every day Related Website: Not listed Supplementary Related Website: Not listed

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