Hedgerows
Hedgerows have been planted and managed since Anglo-Saxon times and over the course of time have acted as political and territorial boundaries, stock-proof barriers and as a windbreak to provide shelter to livestock.
Hedgerows are a key feature of the Cheshire landscape, providing a unique habitat for many different species of plants and animals. However, they are under constant threat through the expansion of fields and from neglect.
Cheshire County Council estimated that by 1992, 66% of Cheshire's hedgerows had been destroyed, with high quality agricultural land having the greatest loss of all.
A hedgerow is defined as any boundary line of trees or shrubs over 20m long and less than 5m wide, provided that at one time the trees or shrubs were more or less continuous. It includes an earth bank or wall only where such a feature occurs in association with a line of trees or shrubs.(Bickmore, 2002)
Why are Hedgerows Important?
- They enhance the landscape
- They provide wildlife habitats
- They enclose land and livestock
- They shelter stock and crops
- They help control soil erosion
- They provide food and firewood
- They provide protection from snow drift
- They contribute to local distinctiveness
- They are a significant historical feature
