A Natural History of the Hedgerow by John Wright

 

This is a book that explores the history and natural history not just of hedgerows, but of other field boundaries including ditches, dykes and dry stone walls. 

Much of the United Kingdom's agricultural landscape has been traditionally broken up by hedgerows, living field boundaries that consist of a variety of shrubs and occasional trees and that offer home to many species of bird, mammal and insect. Hedgerows have declined with changes in agricultural practice, but they are rightly valued as being vital for wildlife. 

A Natural History of the Hedgerow opens with several excellent chapters outlining the history of field boundaries, starting in prehistoric Britain and moving through changing agricultural fashions up to the current time. It is interesting how hedges have at certain times been disliked as symbols of the removal of the common rights to land for grazing and, as now, loved as valuable homes for wildlife. 

Following on from the history of hedges, the book looks at the politics of hedge protection, outlining government schemes and the associated issues and controversies, including the need to focus funding on the right methods of preserving hedges. The author notes the importance of conserving the original hedge itself, rather than removing it and replacing it with new seedlings: 

"It is simply impossible to replace a hedge by planting half a dozen suitable woody species in a row. Yes, it will, if looked after, form a hedge, but not the hedge that was there before, which may have been the product of many centuries and will contain an array of species that cannot be replaced in a few days' planting"

The hedge needs to be seen as more than just the woody plants that form the main part of this type of field boundary to take in the surrounding areas of field or road verge and ditch or embankment. Many species use all parts of this ecosystem, for example the Yellowhammer "feeds in the verge, nests in the hedge bottom, hides from predators in the shrubs and uses the trees to perch and sing."

The third part of the book is made up of a field guide to species found in hedges.  Given that thousands of species (of plants, animals and fungi) can be found in one hedge, this guide is necessarily concise. Although the section outlining the most important shrub and tree species (especially Hawthorn) is very interesting, the rest of the wildlife is dealt with in an unsatisfying way, birds being dismissed as "nasty, feathery things that fly away before you can identify them." which seems an unnecessarily negative comment, given that hedges are vital habitats for many species of birds that are declining. 

The last section of the book gives a brief overview of how to lay a hedge and maintain field boundaries. 

This is an interesting book for anyone interested in the history and importance of hedgerows, but don't expect a useful field guide.

 A Natural History of the Hedgerow by John Wright, published (2016) by Profile Books.

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Related Links: 

England's vital hedges under threat  on The Guardian website.

The UK Government is currently consulting the public on hedge management, you can find out more and (if you're a UK resident) take part here. 

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Meanwhile I'm delighted to have a haiku included in the bird themed issue of Haiku Girl Summer.