Richard Hammond claims “there’s room for the bats and me in Abergavenny”

FOLLOWING news that rare bats have put the brakes on renovation work at his Abergavenny home, Richard Hammond has announced, “If I have to share it with the bats, I’ll find a way of sharing it with the bats.”

The 56-year-old moved into his £2m 19th-century Georgian mansion in Llanwenarth late last year, and frequent sightings of the Hammond in local supermarkets have been well documented on social media and Hereford-based media outlets.

A mild public panic erupted earlier this year about the possibility of Jeremy Clarkson following his old mate to Abergavenny and setting up camp. A handful of agitated residents even formed a protest group named NOB (Not In Our Backyard) to counter the danger.

However, the threat proved to be a red herring, and Clarkson himself assuaged fears personally when he wrote in his column in The Sun, "Residents in the pretty Welsh town of Abergavenny said this week that after Richard Hammond bought a house in the area, they were 'fearful' that I'd do the same thing. Well, relax, boyos, because why would I want to live near Richard Hammond?"

Despite that little storm in a teacup, for the most part, the Hammond has kept a low profile in his adopted town and 19th Century Georgian mansion.

However, the former Top Gear star hit the headlines again last week in a rather batty fashion.

Work to add a padel court and luxury car garage on his Abergavenny Manor came to a grinding halt after a survey came back with evidence that there were bat activity on his property.

And not just any old bats. We’re talking the common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelles here, folks.

“Holy cow, Batman!” You might say, but Richard Hammond said something different.

Taking a laid-back and bat-friendly approach, he told BBC Wales, "If I have to share it with the bats, I'll find a way of sharing it with the bats.

“You don't move somewhere as beautiful as this and expect to stamp out everything that already lives there... I'm sure there's room for the bats and me in Abergavenny."

Which is quite a welcome attitude, and music to the bats’ highly sensitive ears.

The bat survey found "bat activity levels in the immediate vicinity of the building complex were moderate, and the surrounding habitats supported foraging and dispersal by a diverse assemblage of bat species".

Turning away from the subject of bats, Hammond focused his attention on his new home and why he chose Abergavenny.

He told the BBC, “"It's no secret that I got divorced last year, sadly, and I knew I had to move.

"I saw the house advertised and thought, 'there must be something wrong with that,' but went to have a look at it.

"I fell head over heels in love with the house."

Since moving into the property, set within 21 acres, Hammond has never been happier and explained, "Every single week I've discovered another reason to be delighted that I live there. I've never been happier moving in anywhere."