During a discussion with Dr. Peter Beale at the Devon Birds AGM a few years ago, I made contact with Newton Abbot Town Council’s Phil Rowe. We discuused options for swift nestboxes and came up with a plan for St. Leonard’s Clock Tower. I surveyed the tower in September ’24 and discovered that the louvres were made from sharp edged Georgian wired glass within an aluminium frame. Some of the glass was chipped and cracked, so I proposed to make and replace all of the glass louvres and their metal frames with traditional oak louvre casements with swift colony boxes behind. Phil was in full support and embarked upon the journey of securing full planning consent as the building is Grade 2* listed and replacing the louvres is a constrained activity. All credit to Newton Abbot Town Council for their effort and support with this procedure. I installed 16 months from the initial survey, due to their commitment. A very positive experience!
The glass louvre blades and frame removed, ready for the new installation.
The new louvre casements, meshed to restrict avian entry into the tower, whilst retaining essential ventilation.
Inside the chambers. A pre-formed nest ‘scrape’ lined with feathers to ensure entering swifts associate the space with nesting habitat.
A swift’s eye view over Newton Abbot!
Completed installation. Thanks again to Dr. Peter Beale, Phil Rowe and the Town Council, and Rob Woodger and his team.
