Publisher's Synopsis
One of two titles launching the National Trust's new series Living Landscapes. Britain has many of the finest ancient hedgerows in the world, some of them dating back thousands of years. Together with other boundaries such as field walls, ditches and dykes, they are one of our richest social and natural resources, but exactly how well do we know them? This book sets out to explore and explain how our traditional hedges and boundaries were created and maintained, how birds, plants and animals have adapted to life within them, and how man's involvement is crucial to the survival of the fascinating ecosystems. With changes in agriculture and the decline of traditional craftsmen such as hedge-layers and dry-stone wallers, these precious habitats have come under real pressure. However, renewed interest in historic management and popular concern over fate of hedgerows in particular offer new hope for the survival of both wildlife and landscapes themselves.
