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History of hedgerows
Before people farmed, they were hunter-gatherers and the only hedgerows were dead hedges, constructed of thorns and sharpened branches for protection from attack.
The first Bronze Age farmers had to clear woodland to make fields. On occasions, strips of woodland were left to mark the boundaries. These are our oldest hedgerows, and they are often on today's parish boundaries. These are irreplaceable pieces of living history and are often the best hedgerows for wildlife.
The sward on the verge or bank may contain woodland plants such as bluebells and anemones, and the hedge itself may be a rich mixture of woody shrubs such as hazel, dogwood, guelder rose and spindle. Pollarded trees are frequently found in ancient hedgerows - they made great boundary markers in feudal times as they could not be moved.
Planting of new hedgerows started around Roman times and continued on and off through to the mid-18th century, when the Enclosures Act prompted a great spurt in hedge planting, mostly around the English Midlands. Hedge removal is not a new phenomenon - many were lost during the Napoleonic Wars when a besieged Britain was threatened with starvation.
After the Second World War, government policy encouraged hedge removal to ensure that Britain was self-sufficient in food. Financial incentives were available to remove hedgerows and machinery was developed that couldn't manoeuvre in small fields. It is now widely recognised that this policy encouraged farmers to go too far, and there are grants to encourage planting and protection of hedgerows.