Paston Great Barn is one of the best preserved, and few remaining, thatched great barns left in England. It also supports the only known breeding colony of Barbastelle bats to be found in a building. The barn itself is closed to the public to minimise disturbance to the bats, but other access is provided. Main habitats: medieval thatched barn with bat roost Area: 0.9 hectares Management: Natural England manages Paston Barn under a lease from the North Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. Since taking on the lease of the site, Natural England has worked in close liaison with Paston Heritage Society to draw together information on the biological, historical and architectural history of the site. Features of interest The Great Barn itself is a designated Scheduled Ancient Monument. The complex of buildings attached to the Great Barn are Grade II* buildings. This does not include the south boundary barn or the southern boundary wall, as they are not attached to the Great Barn or other buildings. Paston Great Barn supports an exceptional assemblage of bat species and represents one of the few known maternity roosts of barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus in the UK (as well as the only confirmed barbastelle maternity roost in a building in the UK). In total, 5 species are known to have used the buildings: barbastelle, brown long-eared, common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, Nathusius’ pipistrelle and natterer’s. In addition, a further two species have been recorded from around the buildings: noctule and Daubenton’s Bat. Though general access into the barn is not allowed, it is possible to see bats flying around the grounds of the reserve from March to September, just after sunset. For more information about seasonal highlights and the reserve’s history, see Natural England’s pages on Paston Great Barn in the National Archive. Directions Paston Barn is located 1 mile west of Bacton gas terminal on the A149, south east of Paston village. A local coach service number 34 stops at Paston bus shelter in Paston village. The nearest train station is North Walsham. School and community groups For any visits to Paston Barn NNR, contact the Natural England Enquiry Service on 0300 060 3900. Volunteers For volunteering enquires contact enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk Other volunteering opportunities are available with the Norfolk Barbastelle Study Group. Contact To find out more about the reserve contact the Enquiry Centre: Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 060 3900