Hedgerow History

From the Scots pine windbreaks of the Brecklands to the ancient earth and stone banks of the West Country, hedges are an essential component of regional landscape character. A working knowledge of them is an essential part of every landscape historian's toolkit. This book brings our understanding of their history up to date. Drawing upon a unique computerised analysis of hedges in Norfolk, the authors explore how hedges came into existence, and how they have changed over time. They move beyond the myth that a hedge can be dated simply by counting species, and develop instead a much more sophisticated account. They point out marked geographic variations in species content and diversity, and explore the ecological, economic and historical reasons for these differences.