It is thought that some form of hedgerow have been present since the Bronze Age, these would not have been hedgerows as we know them today but strips of woodland carved out of the landscape. However, their function would have been similar to true hedgerows, to mark boundaries and keep livestock.
The first true hedgerows were thought to have been created in the early 1200s when the Law of Enclosure was passed. Throughout the centuries the hedgerow system grew, with their management fitting in alongside the work of farmers and country workers. Management practices would take place in the quieter winter months and included hedgelaying and trimming. As these tasks were completed manually, rather than by machine, there was not time to manage all hedges yearly. Management occurred on a two or three year cycle which is perfect for the health and growth of the hedge.
The hedgerow system flourished up until the end of the Second World War when farmers were encouraged to use whatever space they had to produce food, many of these treasured wildlife habitats were destroyed and with it there was a decline in the cultural work essential to their management. After this time it is thought that 52% of hedgerows in Britain were lost, along with many country skills used to manage healthy hedgerows, such as hedgelaying and cyclical trimming. This has meant that of our remaining hedgerows, the majority are poorly managed and in poor condition.
However, all is not lost! The many benefits of hedgerows are being recognised once again with grants available for hedge planting and protection in place for existing hedgerows. With access to knowledge about the successful management of hedgerows and passing on of traditional country skills such as hedgelaying, we can hope for a future with diverse and healthy hedgerows.
Looking back into the history and culture of hedgerows can help us to understand what is necessary for them to thrive and provide their essential ecosystem services such as the provision of shelter and food, protection from flooding, capturing carbon, connecting and providing habitats, marking boundaries and keeping livestock.
Some hedgerows seen today may be hundreds of years old, a fingerprint on the landscape left by country workers and farmers of the past. Of course the actual plants in the hedgerow will not all be this old, it is the cyclical nature of rejuvenation, good management and healthy seed banks that allow hedgerows to live on. If managed well, the hedgerows that we are planting today could live for centuries, keeping the natural and cultural cycle running and preserving these living treasures.
