What is a hedgerow? 🤔

A hedgerow includes both the hedge and features such as trees, banks, walls, gates and fences. It can be ancient or newly planted and contain a single species or many - and everything in between!☺️
A hedgerow is protected, meaning you cannot remove it if it fulfills the following criteria - 
It’s 20m long with gaps of 20m or less in its length 
Is less than 20m long but meets another hedgerow at each end 
If it’s on or next to -
Land used for agriculture or forestry
Land used for keeping horses and ponies
Common land
A village green
A site of special scientific interest 
A local or national nature reserve 
Land belonging to the state 
For more detailed information on UK hedgerows go to
It’s estimated 40% of UK hedges are ancient (covering around 95,000 miles!}. The definition of an ancient hedgerow is generally defined as - those which existed before the Enclosure Acts, passed mainly between 1720 and 1840 in Britain.

Hedges are great for all forms of wildlife😀. They provide food for butterfly and moth caterpillars 🐛🦋. Queen bees uses small holes and cavities in shaded hedge banks for nesting. 🐝🐝
There is evidence to suggest that during spring honeybees mostly visit native hedgerow and woodland plants I.e willow, hawthorn, oak and dandelions and supplement with a small number of garden plants including cotoneaster, hellebores, and some spring flowering bulbs. 🌳🪻🌸

The top ten plants foraged by honeybees for nectar and pollen in the spring are -

Willow
 Hawthorn 
Cotoneaster
Apple and cherry trees
Gorse
Sycamore
Hellebores
Dandelions
Holly
Oak


The Tree Council organize National Hedgerow week each year, for more information click here
So, next time you’re taking a walk in the countryside take a look at your surroundings, particularly hedgerows that will be teaming with all sorts of wildlife! 🕷️🐛🐝🐞

The tree council hold an annual National Hedgerow week for more info click here