Hedgerows
Hedgerows
have existed as property boundaries and as a means of enclosing livestock
since Saxon times. Laying of hedgerows, or "pleaching", was traditionally
practised to provide a dense barrier of living wood, whilst hedgerow standards
provided a valuable source of timber for firewood. As a rule, older Saxon
and Mediaeval hedgerows contain several different species, Victorian hedgerows
tend to enclose square field systems and are often composed of single tree
species such as hawthorn or blackthorn.
Hedges provide a valuable source of shelter for wildlife and provide
an excellent source of food and nectar for many species of insects, mammals
and birds.
It is always important to let them flower and bear fruit. Generally,
the greater the variety of trees and shrubs, the greater the number of
invertebrates,
mammals and birds the hedge is likely to support.
Hedgerows act as useful corridors for butterflies and moths, allowing
them to travel in relative safety from one habitat to another, and
provide places for
overwintering butterflies to hibernate. Brimstones, for example, will overwinter
on ivy, whilst peacocks prefer bark and deadwood. The bulkier and denser
a hedge becomes, the more cover and food it will provide for nesting
birds.
Today our hedgerows are in serious decline. Since the last war, several
factors have led to their destruction. Because of the need to use bigger
machinery, the
field sizes have increased, destroying valuable sites. Modern livestock production
relies on the use of wire and stock fencing rather than the traditional methods.

Speckled Wood butterfly often seen along hedgerows photograph by Leon
Truscott
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