HEDGEROW – ANALYSIS OF A CHANGING LANDSCAPE FEATURE

Abstract

A characteristic feature on many British landscapes, the hedgerow, merits more attention than it has been accorded in the past.1 Moreover the hedgerow is in process of active transformation and its purpose is in dispute. This paper pays special attention to Huntingdonshire, where a detailed survey of all field boundaries was undertaken in 1965-7 (Fig. 1) and the discussion falls into three parts - the case for the retention of the hedgerow, the case for its removal, and a consideration of the changing verdict upon it.