Hedges were in the news with a report on the BBC News website by Helen Briggs saying that the length of the UK's hedgerows would go round the world ten times. It's based on some CEH data here.
Of course it used to be many times more, but miles of hedgerows have been lost - grubbed up to make more space, or to make larger fields to make farming more 'efficient'. Hopefully some protections are now put in place, and other new hedgerows can be planted - I noticed some going in on the edge of my Norfolk village last weekend.
The news article was picked up by a few Twitter accounts.
About half of Britain's hedgerows were lost 1940s-1990s, mostly in England - intensive farming & development.
— Rachael Unsworth (@LeedsTours) January 30, 2024
Loss has slowed since 1990s, but neglect, damage & removal remain big threats.
Government promised in 2023 to create/restore 72,000km of hedgerows by 2050. https://t.co/8pXmqgQiRv
There are plenty of overlaps with the potential content of the GCSE Natural History specification. Hedges are a linear habitat. Their existence reveals landscape change and links to the past, including enclosure. They are important for biodiversity, and vary in form in different counties.
Hedgelink has also shared the link to the mapping which has been done by CEH.Amazing hedgerow mapping from @UK_CEH 🌳 Hedgerow height and length has been mapped across England to build up a picture of the state of the nation's hedges. Click here for the data: https://t.co/UFDOQFz22w https://t.co/qlGi5iNDV5
— Hedgelink (@Hedgelink_UK) January 30, 2024
A comment on hedges from Robert MacFarlane to end this post. We will certainly be coming back to consider how we can create a resource related to the changing history of hedges. They need to be conserved and cherished according to this FT piece.
I like the description here by Robert of hedges:
He asked for contributions on the theme of hedges, and here is one that caught the eye, and is worth returning to:Hedgerows are miraculous habitats: skinny wildwoods, bird-larders, carbon stores, species shelters.
— Robert Macfarlane (@RobGMacfarlane) January 30, 2024
Now first full (LIDAR) map of England's vast hedge-network is out.
Laid end to end they'd girdle the Earth ten times.
Let's celebrate hedges! Pics, stories?https://t.co/5Dx8UspiVq
"A bewitched curtain"...
— CeasefireNow (@lucyinnarnia) January 30, 2024
here is the full poem, The Hedge, by @ZaffarKunial from "England's Green" (Faber) pic.twitter.com/Vdwb1sfwmI
Update
Hedgerow schemes were featured on the BBC's Countyfile programme. There are some lovely quotes about the value of hedges in this feature on hedgerow restoration.
The piece explores what makes a good hedge.
They have been part of our landscape since the Bronze Age, but more than half have been lost since the Second World War. Watch from 27 minutes in.
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