BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-04)

HEDGEROWS

fifth of the current hedgerows in southern

Britain existing since Saxon times. It seems

very likely that when the Romans first

arrived in Britain, they would have marched

past hedgerows.

In many places, the hedgerows that we

see now are actual remnants of ancient

woodlands and, as such, boast species such

as honeysuckle, bramble and dog violet

that were there when hedge and field first

emerged from the wood. There are vestigial

remains of other long-lost habitats found in

other hedgerows: once-common agricultural

weeds such as field poppy, common

knapweed and meadow cranesbill now

find themselves pushed into the margins

BRAMBLE

Juicy blackberries are

ripe for the picking in

early autumn and

attract as many birds

as humans on the

hunt for the fruit.

IVY BEE

Similar in appearance

to a honeybee, this

invertebrate is a

relative newcomer

to our shores, first

recorded here in 2001.

OLD MAN'S BEARD

Also known as traveller’s

joy, maiden’s hair and

hedge feathers (among

others). Spot this climber’s

fluy seed heads in winter.

MUNTJAC

While hedgerows

harbour minute

insects, birds and

smaller mammals,

larger creatures such

as muntjac deer also

browse here.

by herbicides and so take refuge in these

field boundaries, along with the woodland

remnants. Hedgerows close to the sea are

peppered with cliff-edge plants, while on

chalk downland there are refugees from

chalk meadows. Everywhere you go, you'll

find hedgerows acting as havens for plants

from once-common habitats.

Showing their age

An ancient hedgerow will be filled with

different species, indicative of its woodland

origins. Each era’s hedgerows have their

own signifiers, but the accepted method of

ageing a hedgerow involves selecting a 10m

stretch and counting the number of woody

species within it (not including climbers).

Each species equals 100 years, so a hedgerow

containing field maple, blackthorn, hazel and

crab apple can be aged at around 400 years

old. But even if you are not in the surveying

mood, sometimes a simple glance will reveal

great age: the presence of bluebells and

spindle, for instance, is a sign that you’re

looking at a very old hedgerow indeed,

perhaps around 800 years old.

These complex and ancient hedgerows

are most common along the western fringe

and the south-east of Britain, and in any

parts that are too hilly and craggy for large-

scale agriculture. Here, the pattern of the

countryside is still much as it would have

been hundreds of years ago. Fields are small

and higgledy-piggledy, with hedgerows that

dip and wind, often with sunken green

lanes or ‘holloways’ running between them.

Meanwhile, in the flat and more

central parts of England, hedgerows were

SPINDLE

Autumn is when the vibrant

colours of this plant are at

their best. Both leaves and

fruit are enjoyed by wildlife,

especially aphids.

Illustration: Dawn Cooper/The Artworks

WINTER

AUTUMN