Save our hedgerows
With to vanish hedges from continuing our landscape, we ask one charity campaigning for their protection why we should care and how to make a difference
If you’ve ever been up in an aeroplane, perhaps returning to the UK from holiday, you’ll be familiar with that moment when you spot the inviting patchwork quilt of countryside that is so quintessentially British and suddenly realise you’re home.
For hundreds of years, our fields have been stitched together by miles and miles of beautiful hedgerows packed with thriving wildlife. But sadly, this landmark of our landscape, the humble hedgerow, is in danger of disappearing, along with the familiar patchwork quilt it creates, as more than 90,000 miles of managed hedges have been lost since 1984.
With fears their destruction could have disastrous impacts on wildlife, ecosystems and local communities, too, we speak to Emma Marrington, campaigner for the charity Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which has been working to protect hedgerows for many years.
Why do hedgerows matter?
“Hedgerows have been here for hundreds of years and can tell us so much about the history of a place and its people, as well as protecting archaeological treasures such as Bronze Age banks,” says Emma.
“As many hedgerows were planted in the 1700s and 1800s as a way of dividing up land, they tell us a lot about how land was managed in the past and are an integral part of the countryside’s character. “Hedgerows contain a mixture of different plant species, so they’re very important for the biodiversity of an area, helping out lots of little creatures and insects. For example, the rare hazel dormouse relies on hedgerows to survive, as do lots of farmland birds and bats which use the hedgerows to help them get around. “I also think that it’s very interesting that hedgehog numbers have diminished at a similar rate as hedgerow numbers given that hedgehogs – as their name suggests – love a hedge.
“What’s more, hedgerows reduce wind and water erosion which prevents fields from losing soil, thereby helping the local environment. And they create a physical barrier to stop polluting fertilisers, pesticides and sediment reaching water, as well as regulating the water supply to crops, lending farmers a hand.
“In towns and cities hedgerows provide sustainable drainage, reduce the amount of air pollution and can even help in reducing the rate of climate change as they handily store carbon dioxide.”
DID YOU KNOW? More than 80 per cent of our farmland birds rely on hedgerows for protection and food
What’s the situation?
“Following the Second World War, farmers were actively encouraged to remove hedgerows to make way for more food production, taking out tens of thousands of kilometres of hedges,” says Emma. “The Campaign to Protect Rural England began campaigning in the Seventies for the government to protect countryside hedgerows. “Finally, in 1997, the first-ever statutory protection came in with the Hedgerows Regulations. While this made a big difference, changes to farming practices, hedgerow neglect and urban development has meant hedgerows have continued to disappear. Existing regulations mean hedgerow removal can only be stopped if a set of very specific national criteria is met. “Today there is thought to be about 450,000km (280,000 miles) of hedgerow left, mainly in southern England and southern Wales, with very little left in Scotland,” Emma explains. “While we know hedgerow removal is sometimes unavoidable as the landscape and its people change, we campaign to improve the hedgerow regulations and encourage local councils and the public to have a bigger say in how hedges are protected in their areas. There is talk of a new Environment Act next year, which could improve things, and a new agricultural policy will also be a great opportunity to enhance hedgerows. We just want to encourage a love for hedgerows and get people exploring the landscape on their doorstep.”