Hedgerows are an archetypal feature in the British landscape, decorating the patchwork of small fields in the countryside. Historically, the purpose of these hedgerows was for stock proof fencing yet today we recognise a plethora of benefits that hedgerows provide.
In a heavily fragmented landscape hedgerows have become essential wildlife corridors, linking habitats such as woodland, grassland and ponds. This connects populations that would otherwise be isolated and vulnerable and allows relocation to better habitat. Over 100 priority species utilise hedgerows for a variety of reasons such as for shelter, food, or navigation. Birds and small mammals’ nest in hedges, bats use hedgerows as foraging grounds and reptiles hide in the long tussocky margins associated with hedgerows.
Hedgerows do a lot for us too! They provide flood relief, modulate noise, water, and air pollution, and alleviate climate change by sequestering carbon and storing it in their woody growth, roots, and the soil beneath them. Within a farming context, hedgerows have the potential to increase crop yield as they support diverse populations of pollinators and are a haven for predatory and parasitic insects that feed on crop pests. They also provide shade and shelter in extreme weather which can improve livestock growth and survival rates, milk yield and crop yield.
The landscape in Oxfordshire has been under pressure over recent years, as a result of both development and agricultural practices. The Oxfordshire Treescapes Project published the Our Land Our Future report in 2020. It estimates that Oxfordshire currently has around 13,000km of hedgerow but has lost approximately 50% of its hedgerows since the 1940s. After WWII the government incentivized the removal of hedgerows from the countryside to make more space to grow crop. Much of the remaining hedgerow has been improperly managed since leading to a further loss of hedgerow habitat. Consequently, there is a need to replace lost hedgerow and improve their condition so we can reap the benefits along with the birds, bugs, and bees!
Over the past year I have been working as the Hedgerow Officer for Wild Oxfordshire. The first project I jumped into was Hedgerow Heroes (Oxfordshire Hedgerow Heroes), a three-year national campaign funded by CPRE which aims to expand the hedgerow network across the country, rejuvenate unhealthy hedgerows, and empower communities to take action for nature on their patch.
Back in 2021/22 Wild Oxfordshire, in partnership with CPRE Oxon, was involved in the very first year of Hedgerow Heroes. Volunteers in Watlington, Eynsham and Kidlington planted 1.7 km of new hedgerow, restored 480m of hedgerow and captivated 550 people in the process. This year (2023/24) was the third year of Hedgerow Heroes where nearly 400 people from 13 different communities collectively rejuvenated 500m of hedgerow and planted over 2.5km of new hedgerow. During this time, we worked closely with a small group of volunteers (project leads) in different locations to develop bespoke hedgerow projects that were carried out across the county. The project leads were invaluable! They had a wealth of local environmental knowledge which helped inform their projects, consulted with landowners to get permission for the work to be carried out, organised hedgerow planting and rejuvenation events, rallied others within their communities to help with planting and, in some instances, surveyed their hedgerows to start planning future hedgerow work. Wild Oxfordshire ensured that each project ran smoothly by preparing species mixes, ordering whips, guards and canes, delivering hedging material, advertising and attending planting days, facilitating hedgelaying workshops all whilst keeping within budget and ensuring our targets were met.
Due to the success of the Hedgerow Heroes campaign, the funders decided to extend the project with 2024/25 marking the fourth year of Hedgerow Heroes. Together, Wild Oxfordshire and CPRE Oxon were successful in securing funding and have plans to plant and rejuvenate around 3km of hedgerow with eight different communities across Oxfordshire this winter!
Over the past year I’ve learnt that hedgerow management following planting is critical as correct management ensures longevity and creates the characteristics and conditions that are most beneficial to biodiversity.
Possibly the principal management practice to get right is the trimming. Without trimming, a hedgerow will grow into a line of trees and your hedgerow habitat is lost, whilst over trimming stresses the plants resulting in their gradual death. The main rule of thumb is don’t trim your hedgerow to the same place every year, aka: over trimming. Instead, aim to trim incrementally annually or every two to three years. Annual incremental trimming has been shown to produce two to three times more berries than cutting back to the same height (Increasing the value of hedges for wildlife with relaxed cutting regime (CEH))! Make sure to trim in winter to allow berry and nut availability for as long as possible and never trim between March 1st and August 31st as this is bird breeding season.
It's encouraged to manage other elements that associate with a hedgerow as a hedgerow in combination with a mature tree, a ditch, a base, a bank or a grassy margin can offer more to animals than a hedgerow in isolation. Let’s take farmland birds as an example. The line of dense shrubs (your actual hedgerow) provides nesting, roosting and shelter habitat whilst the fruits and nuts that grow from them are a food source throughout the seasons. The mature tree affords a singing post which birds can use to attract mates or ward of competing males and wet ditches harbour invertebrates in very large numbers which form the predominant diet of nearly all fledging’s.
There will become a point when your hedgerow needs rejuvenating which can be done by laying or coppicing. Both methods involve some sort of cutting at the base of a hedge plant. New growth will begin from the part of the stem that’s been cut which results in bushier denser growth close to the ground. The time to rejuvenate a hedge is roughly 10-15 years after planting if you haven’t trimmed at all and after 20-25 years if you have. After the first rejuvenation you can leave your hedge for another 40+ years before it needs it again, so you probably only have to do it once in your lifetime!
In recent decades hedgerows have been gaining traction as we cotton on to their many benefits. The government are now offering incentives to landowners to manage their hedgerows correctly whilst other organisations and charities add hedgerows to their focus. Alongside our work with communities, Wild Oxfordshire are delivering hedgerow workshops and hedgerow management plans for farmers and landowners which we hope will increase hedgerow knowledge within the farming community and encourage proper hedgerow management. With the spotlight shining on hedgerows let’s hope that in 50 years’ time we see many more hedgerows lining our gardens, roads and fields!
• UK Community Tree Planting Grant — International Tree Foundation
• Local Environment Fund — Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment
• Free Trees for Schools and Communities - Woodland Trust
• Free Trees for Communities Across the UK (tcv.org.uk)
• Grants and guidance - The Tree Council
• Trees for Landowners and Farmers - Woodland Trust
• BN11: Planting new hedges - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• BN5: Hedgerow laying - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• PTES Hedgerow Surveying Techniques
· The Great British Hedgerow Survey (ptes.org)
· Healthy Hedgerows (ptes.org)
· The Adams Hedgerow Management Scale
· Top 12 management principles
· Increasing the value of hedges for wildlife with relaxed cutting regime (CEH)
· Hedge Planting with NigelAdams
· The-Tree-Council-Planting-Guidance.pdf(treecouncil.org.uk)
Read our October blog here (written by Jessica, our Hedgerows and Partnerships Project Officer)
