Richard Hammond to 'Find a Way' to Share His £2m Welsh Mansion With Rare Bats

Former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter Richard Hammond says he will 'find a way' of sharing his new Welsh home with rare bats — after renovation plans for the property were paused pending a protected species licence.

The mansion and the move

Hammond bought the 19th-century Georgian mansion in Llanwenarth, near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, in November 2025, paying around £2 million. The property sits on 21 acres and overlooks the Usk Valley, within Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (the Brecon Beacons). It includes historic outbuildings, former stables and formal gardens set within the remnant parkland of a former estate.

Hammond told BBC Wales that the move followed his divorce from his wife Mindy last year, after 23 years of marriage. '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.'

He viewed the property five times before buying it, and says he has 'never been happier moving in anywhere.'

Renovation plans — and the bats

Hammond had planned to renovate parts of the property, including adding a padel court to replace an existing tennis court, building a luxury garage to store his 'collection of historic and specialist vehicles', and converting an existing barn. Planning applications were submitted to Monmouthshire County Council.

However, a bat survey commissioned ahead of the work found 'bat activity levels in the immediate vicinity of the building complex were moderate', with a 'diverse assemblage of bat species' foraging and commuting in the grounds. Species identified include the common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelles, brown long-eared, noctule, Leisler's and serotine bats.

Under UK law, all bat species and their roosts are legally protected. It is an offence to kill, injure, take or disturb a bat, or to destroy or interfere with a bat roost. A protected species development licence from Natural Resources Wales is now required before any of the renovation work can proceed. Natural Resources Wales said it has not yet received an application for such a licence.

Hammond's response

'If I have to share it with the bats, I'll find a way of sharing it with the bats,' Hammond told BBC Wales. '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.'

Hammond said he plans to respect the property and its surroundings: 'I'll do nothing to change the look of the place. Why would I? You don't buy something beautiful and then deface it.'