Our ancient hedgerows are a haven for Britain’s wildlife. These complex ecosystems act as an important refuge for all kinds of creatures. For the forager, they’re brimming with fruits and nuts in early autumn and for the aesthete, they are also undoubtedly at their most beautiful this month.
The word ‘hedge’ comes from ‘haeg’, the Anglo-Saxon name for the hawthorn. One of the reasons the hawthorn was so commonly planted is that its wood burns slowly and produces lots of heat; it was the perfect fuel for stoves and fires.
Hedgerows traditionally marked the boundaries between estates and parishes. Some are the remnants of ancient woodlands, but most were planted by landowners keen to protect their territory and to prevent livestock escaping. In particular, the Inclosure Acts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries led to hedges being planted all over the country.
You might think they’re a common sight, but after the Second World War thousands of miles – up to one-third – of Britain’s hedgerows were lost as a result of modern agricultural methods. The industrialization of food and mechanized farming meant a demand for bigger fields in which large machinery could easily operate. These days we have a deeper understanding of the hedgerow’s importance as a habitat and they are protected by law.
Hedgerows are home to hundreds of different plant and animal species. They also provide safe corridors for wildlife to move between larger areas of woodland. So, following a hedge line can make a particularly interesting and attractive autumnal ramble, revealing no end of trees, shrubs, small mammals, insects and birds.
The colours you’ll see at this time of year are the result of a three-way chemical ebb and flow that takes place every autumn. During the summer, two chemicals are produced for photosynthesis (the process by which plants ‘breathe’, converting water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen). The first chemical, chlorophyll, is green, and the second, carotene, is yellow. To produce chlorophyll, trees need both warmth and light, so when the cooler days and longer nights of autumn arrive, chlorophyll production slows. As the green chemical fades away, the yellow carotene remains. Anthocyanins, a third chemical group, are produced when sugars in the leaf become concentrated and trapped in the leaves as the tree prepares for winter. This is the red that you see – it also pigments apples and grapes.
While you’re enjoying your ramble, try working out the age of your local hedgerow. Hooper’s Hedgerow Hypothesis works on the rule that one new large species will establish itself in a hedge every century. Pace out a thirty-metre stretch of hedge, count the number of different woody species you find and multiply that number by 100 – you’ll have the approximate age, of your hedge. The oldest man-made hedgerows in the UK are thought to have been planted nearly a thousand years ago.